This included incidents involving the throwing of bricks, bottles and fireworks between different groups and at police, and the smashing of bus windows carrying young people from a cross-community football tournament.

Ms Ferguson has said: “There is absolutely no justification for the heinous incident this all stemmed from, the retaliatory attacks that followed, or any kind of violence targeted at police.

"My thoughts are with everyone impacted by these attacks, and I hope that anyone who may be hurt makes a speedy recovery.

“Sectarianism continues to be a scourge on our society. If we want to live in peace and create a truly united community for the next generations, it’s something we must continue to vigorously challenge at every level.

“I’d encourage any young person caught up in this senseless violence to seriously reconsider their actions, and any parents of those involved to have some robust conversations with their children about the possible consequences of their behaviour, which could impact them for the rest of their lives.”