Larne Leisure Centre fire: Gordon Lyons to be referred to Standards Commissioner

In a post on Wednesday evening, June 11, Mr Lyons said that the centre had been used to temporarily accommodate a number of people following public disorder in Ballymena on Tuesday.

“As a local MLA for the area, neither I nor my DUP Council colleagues were made aware or consulted on this decision until late this afternoon,” the East Antrim DUP MLA added.

"It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and Council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne.

"Protesting is of course a legitimate right but violence is not and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful.”

Masked individuals later attacked the centre on Tower Road, smashing windows and setting fires that spread inside the premises.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said the facility had been designated as an emergency rest centre for those in urgent need following Monday’s disturbances in Ballymena, but the families had been safely relocated elsewhere.

Police and firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control on Wednesday night, with the centre currently closed to allow for assessment of damage and repairs.

Following the attack on the centre, Mr Lyons condemned the damage saying it “only served to hurt residents of the town”.

“The violence and disorder witnessed on our streets over recent nights serves no purpose. Wanton destruction such as the attack on Larne Leisure Centre is an attack on all residents who use the facility,” he added.

“There is absolutely no excuse for what has taken place in Larne, and it must be condemned.”

SDLP leader Matthew O'Toole indicated the Opposition would refer the minister to the Commissioner and “explore all other options for accountability”.

"The actions of the Communities Minister cannot be ignored,” Mr O’Toole said.

"He is the Minister responsible for the Housing Executive and lives are at stake.”

Responding to the backlash on social media, the Minister said that the information on Larne Leisure Centre was “already public on numerous social media pages”, adding: “I was simply highlighting the point that I was not made aware of this until my office received phone calls and I wanted to ensure people were aware that the individuals in question had been moved on from the site.

"My motivation was to defuse tension and appeal for calm.”

The fire on Wednesday night coincided with a third consecutive night of public disorder in Ballymena, during which officers came under sustained attack with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks thrown at them.

The violence began around Clonavon Terrace on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest, organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area over the weekend.

Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have since been charged.