Image source, Pacemaker

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson also says police have seen significant coordination relating to the violence on social media from inside and outside Northern Ireland.

"That toxicity is what's bringing people out onto the streets and it needs to stop," he says.

Henderson says that there's no evidence to say that violence is being coordinated by loyalist paramilitaries but added if that was the case, "we will not be shy to investigate".

Henderson says police are closely watching what people are putting online and will take action against those found to have broken the law.

"I want to say directly to the big social media companies, if you're hosting material content on your sites that is encouraging disorder, that needs to stop," he says.

Henderson says "we should all listen to the words" of the family of knifing victim Stephen Ogilvie after they issued a statement on Wednesday calling for calm.

"They could not be more clear that violence is not in Stephen's name," he says.

Henderson also says the force stands with the community against those who carry out violence, and that police will be out in "significant numbers", bolstered by officers from forces sent from elsewhere in the UK, adding officers will be deployed across Northern Ireland.

He says police are increasing patrols in key areas, and are talking to businesses and healthcare providers. Some care providers have said their migrant employees were targeted on Wednesday.

Image source, PA Media

He says police will track down people who participated in the disorder, and says the force will release more images of those it wishes to speak to after calling for information on participants earlier today.

"There'll be further images released as our detectives work tirelessly to identify those responsible and bring them to justice," he says.

Henderson says it was clear that those who attended recent disorder were not peaceful protesters, "rather, they were intent on violence".

"We'll bring you to justice and I know the judiciary in Northern Ireland stands ready to give long sentences to those bringing disorder to our streets," he says, adding communities and businesses "deserve to get back to normal".

Speaking about how police responded to the unrest, Henderson says the officers fired 20 AEP (Attenuating Energy Projectiles) rounds as well as using a water cannon against crowds.

He says police responded to unrest in Newtownabbey, County Antrim and Portadown, County Armagh.

Henderson adds 12 officers were injured, including some by petrol bombs, and there were 16 arrests.

Henderson adds he's "hugely grateful" for the efforts of their officers for their "incredible resilience and bravery in the face of that disorder".

We're hearing now from Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, who is giving a briefing to media on last night's violence.

He begins by condemning the second night of disorder seen in some areas across Northern Ireland.

"This violent behaviour by a thuggish minority will not be tolerated," he says.

Image source, PA Media

The disorder in Northern Ireland has seriously damaged trade, a small business leader told the BBC earlier today.

"Protest if you like, but if you have to protest with a mask, there is something wrong," Tina McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses, said on Good Morning Ulster.

McKenzie said many businesses who stayed open through the Troubles felt they had to shut after anonymous Facebook posts this week warned employers to send staff home early.

She called on the authorities stand up for workers and say: "We're not going to shut off the schools, we're not going to shut off the buses - we're going to stand together and we're not going to be intimidated."

Kelly Bonner
BBC News NI

While in Glengormley this morning I met Philip Brett, the Democratic Unionist Party MLA for the area.

He's been calling door-to-door and speaking to residents.

When I asked him who was organising the rioting last night, he says he doesn't know but that it was mainly children involved.

He is urging them to stop - saying they will be arrested and this will affect their futures.

Police are due to hold another press conference shortly following a second night of disorder, albeit not as widespread as it was on Tuesday.

We've already heard 12 PSNI officers were injured last night, according to Secretary of State Hilary Benn, in addition to the two officers who were injured on Tuesday.

We are expecting to hear from Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, who also spoke the media on Tuesday in the aftermath of the Belfast knife attack.

We'll be streaming the press conference live and you can watch by pressing play at the top of this page when it begins.

Police Scotland now say two people were arrested and three officers injured during a protest outside a hotel in Greenock that has been used to house asylum seekers.

Two police vehicles were also damaged as items were thrown at officers near the Holiday Inn Express on Wednesday evening.

The arrested men were issued with fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour.

Speaking on the media rounds this morning, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn condemned the violence in Northern Ireland as "racist thuggery".

"If you are burning someone out of their home saying 'foreigners out', what other word would you use?" he asks BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He says it has created a "sense of terror and fear" among ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland.

Others have also condemned the attacks as racially motivated in statements this morning:

• "These acts serve no one and only cause harm and fear within communities," said Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins after a vehicle owned by her department was set on fire in a depot in County Antrim
• "Every time a politician blames migrants and refugees for problems created by our unjust economic system it fuels hatred," said Unison general secretary Andrea Egan on X, calling on leaders to "stop emboldening the far-right"
• "Blaming a group of people for the awful actions of an individual leads us to a very dark place," said Green Party leader Zack Polanski, accusing Elon Musk of stoking violence on X

Kelly Bonner
BBC News NI

Glengormley resident Paul Sharkey tells me he was "petrified" last night.

He says: "I witnessed a masked man walking up our street and setting fire to homes, it was terrifying.

"A van was set alight and pushed towards my home."

He adds: "I hardly slept a wink. I was terrified."

An 18-year-old man has been charged after two PSNI officers were injured by a petrol bomb in Carrickfergus, County Antrim on Tuesday.

He has been charged with riot and is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court later today.

Enda McClafferty
BBC News NI political editor

The government is set to "intensify" its crackdown on illegal migrants living in Northern Ireland.

According to a government source, the Home Office is ramping up immigration enforcement efforts to "track down, detain, arrest and remove" illegal migrants.

This will see a "surge in intelligence-led operations" carried out by Immigration Enforcement officers and Border Force personnel along Common Travel Area routes.

The Home Office claims that nearly 1,000 illegal migrants have been removed over the past year.

Read more on this here.

We are expecting to an update from the PSNI later this morning, but let's take a moment to have a look back at comments the Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, made about the potential for disorder on 4 June.

He told the Policing Board he was “concerned about events in the summer” following “really difficult, major disturbances in the last two years”.

“I do have some real concerns…but we are ready for it and we are reassuring people.”

At that time he also said he was “concerned about the malign influence of bad actors spreading extreme and hateful disinformation on social media”.

Image source, PA Media

Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson claims "it's not loyalist paramilitary organisations" behind this week's disorder.

"The leaderships of the organisations have been clear, they’re not taking any part in this, they’re not encouraging anybody to take any part in this," Bryson tells Good Morning Ulster.

"I think the police would confirm that."

He says the situation "would be a lot different" if they were involved, "because what you’re actually seeing is the absence of orchestration, the absence of coordination and you simply see the Wild West now".

"This is just absolute chaos.”

• Loyalist paramilitaries: Who are the groups in Northern Ireland?

Cleanup efforts are ongoing in Glengormley's Antrim Rd, which was the epicentre for much of last night's violence.

Here are some more of the latest pictures from the scene:

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Police Scotland is expected to send about 90 officers to Northern Ireland as part of a mutual aid agreement with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, says the total will include five inspectors.

Northern Ireland's Secretary of State Hilary Benn confirmed 200 extra officers from across the UK will be on the ground from today to help restore order and protect ethnic minorities who are being targeted.

Police Scotland would not confirm numbers but say an agreement was reached following careful consideration “to ensure there is no impact to policing in Scotland”.

A Sudanese woman who came to Northern Ireland as a refugee in 2016 says her community is "terrified" following the Belfast knife attack.

Twasul Mohammed and others have been helping some of the families who were forced out of their homes on Tuesday night when gangs of masked men burnt out homes and vehicles.

"When the attack happened on Monday night, we knew this would be coming," she told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.

"I have seen women and kids terrified and in shock," she said.

"Everyone is terrified, we are keeping our kids at home. I haven't sent my kids to school since it happened and everyone is worried and tearful."

As we reported earlier, there have been a number of incidents of healthcare workers being abused or targeted while on their way to and from work.

Patricia McKeown from the union Unison, says a nurse with "a different skin colour was chased into the Ulster Hospital by four masked men".

The South Eastern Health Trust says it is "horrified" by the incident and "utterly condemns" it.

"This nurse bravely insisted on remaining in the Ulster Hospital to care for the most vulnerable in our community. Her behaviour is in stark contrast to the behaviour of the people who terrified her as she tried to do her job," the Trust says.

Meanwhile, The Belfast Trust says the recent incidents of civil unrest are "deeply worrying" and it's "appalled" that some of its staff have been subjected to racist abuse.

"Any abuse of our staff will not be tolerated, this is unacceptable behaviour and we would encourage anyone subjected to racist abuse to report each incident to the PSNI and to tell their line manager."

Regarding the protests, Maitiu Mág Tighearnán says: "Everybody is entitled to the right of opinion and the right to protest.

"[But] when it turns violent then you lose sight of the protest and what it actually stands for."

He says a local shop which has been there for 15-20 years was attacked, adding the owners have grandchildren born in Northern Ireland.

"We have people in our society who contribute towards our economy, who contribute towards our country, so attacking those people makes no sense," he says, adding the burning of a bus in Belfast on Tuesday also "sets [things] back so many years".