RIOTERS have lobbed bottles and petrol bombs at cops with blazes springing up in Northern Ireland as a fourth night of carnage erupts.
Police barricades are blocking roads amid another night of disorder – as families are left hiding in wardrobes and attics in fear of the violence.
So far, stones and bottles have been thrown and bins set on fire after being dragged into the streets of Portadown – which is an hour away from where the riots began on Monday.
A police spokesperson warned they “will not tolerate a repeat of the scenes” seen over the last few nights.
PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher described the rioting as “wanton, disgraceful criminal behaviour that is absolutely race motivated”.
He said: “I want to send a very clear message to all our diverse communities: we stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with you. We are here to protect you.
“We are your police service, and these bigots and racists will not win the day.”
Cops earlier decried the mass carnage as “racist thuggery”.
They’ve called in reinforcements to keep the peace, with 80 extra officers from Scotland coming over.
Violence originally erupted in Ballymena on Monday, stemming from an initially peaceful gathering to support a girl and her family after an alleged sexual assault.
Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court charged with attempted rape on Monday.
A third man, 28, was also arrested over the alleged sexual assault.
The boys confirmed their names – which cannot be reported – and their ages through a Romanian interpreter at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court.
But within hours of their court appearance, disorder broke out in Co Antrim.
Northern Ireland’s Chief Constable said that the girl’s family are “mortified” at the rioting.
“Let’s stop it now, Everybody wants it to stop” he said.
“I reiterate the retraumatising of this poor girl, she’s been through enough through what happened to her on Saturday evening. She doesn’t want any of this.
“I know the family are mortified. I’ve spoken to them personally, they’ve asked me to make this plea.
Why the two 14-year-old boys charged with attempted rape can't be named
The two teenagers charged with attempted rape appeared at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The defendants cannot be named due to their ages.
Article 22(2) of the 1998 Order restricts press and media reporting of proceedings in youth courts.
It states that, where a child is concerned in any criminal proceedings in a youth court or on appeal from a youth court, no report revealing the name, address or school of any child, including anything likely to lead to the identification of the child, shall be published.
Press and media are also restricted from publishing a picture of any child concerned, except where the court or the Department of Justice, if satisfied that it is in the interests of justice to do so, makes an order dispensing with these prohibitions.
“So for all of you listening, for people who have any sort of responsibility or charge over people who have been doing this awful disorder, get them to desist, stop it.
“It’s not helping anyone. It’s certainly not helping your community.”
Families in the town of Ballymena, Co Antrim have been forced to flee their homes as the riots continue.
Residents in Portadown, County Armagh, were warned tonight that demonstrations are being “directed towards migrants, foreign nationals, and what (is) perceived as deviant behaviour”.
A letter urged locals to secure their property and belongings, and to stay elsewhere if possible.
Earlier in the week, crowds set fire to piles of furniture in the middle of the streets, homes were set alight, and multiple cars went up in flames.
Footage showed masked and hooded rioters lobbing petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks at cops trying to calm the unrest on Tuesday.
Officers fired baton rounds and water cannon in a desperate bid to keep the mobs at bay.
Yesterday, a leisure centre in Larne came under attack after it emerged some foreign families escaping the chaos were being temporarily housed there.
In total, 41 officers have been injured in the chaos – with the force even describing a hatchet being chucked at them.
Many residents have placed posters in their windows identifying themselves as British to avoid being targeted. Union Jack flags were also prominently displayed.
A hand-written note in one window read: “British residents.”
The PSNI said: “At this time, all incidents are being treated as racially-motivated hate crimes.
“We absolutely condemn these disgraceful attacks on our minority ethnic friends and neighbours.
“Those responsible are endangering not only the lives of those inside the properties, but putting themselves at risk of injury.”
Earlier today, three teenagers appeared in court charged with rioting offences. There have been 15 arrests in total.
