Ants act as a natural pest control, as they feed on harmful insects, and dig tunnels through the soil to help aerate it for your plants.

However, if they create a nest underneath your plants’ roots or in gaps underneath your patio slabs, they can become a problem for outdoor gatherings.

Ants will be drawn to food from things like barbecues, which increases the likelihood of them coming into your house and causing an infestation.

How to get rid of ant nests?

Melinda Martin shared a simple and cheap way of getting rid of ant nests in a video on Instagram.

Melinda showed how the best way to get rid of an ant nest is by using boiling water from a kettle.

The energy required to boil a fuel kettle costs around 5p, making this an inexpensive hack to prevent an ant infestation.

You simply have to pour the boiled kettle over the ant nest and repeat this a few times.

In the video, she said: “I’m going to show you my favourite at-home, easy, don’t have to buy anything way to kill an ant pile.

“This method does work, but you have to be consistent, and you have to do it multiple times.

“I’m going to take this in, I’m going to refill it, and I’m probably going to do it six to eight times.

“I’m also going to poke holes in [the nest] after I do it a few times to make sure we get down to the bottom, where the queen is.”

You should repeat this process for two consecutive days to guarantee that all of the ants are gone.

This hack is highly effective but should only be used in spots where you have nothing else growing, like on your driveway or patio.

Will you be trying out this hack to get rid of ants in your home? Let us know in the comments.

By BEN NAGLE, US SPORTS EDITOR and DANIEL MATTHEWS IN SEATTLE

Published: 23:14 BST, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 04:41 BST, 8 July 2026

Two senior members of the USA’s World Cup staff were absent for the defeat against Belgium after being quietly suspended by FIFA ahead of the game, it has emerged.

In the latest off-field drama surrounding the host nation, team manager Sam Zapatka and security VP Frank Pannell were both banned from being with the team for the last-16 clash.

FIFA quietly published the news on its website but no reason for the suspension was given, though the Daily Mail understands it was unrelated to the Folarin Balogun controversy.

The incident that led to the suspension is believed to have occurred during the previous round against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ensured both men were unable to fulfil their usual roles in Seattle on Monday night.

Advertisement

A spokesperson for US Soccer directed the Daily Mail’s request for comment to FIFA, which is yet to respond. 

The US were dumped out of the World Cup in a 4-1 thrashing by Belgium, but their final days in the competition were marred by a huge controversy surrounding star man Balogun and his suspension.

Mauricio Pochettino was without two key members of his USA staff for the Belgium game

Advertisement

Folarin Balogun’s suspension – eventually overturned – dominated the build-up to the game

The Monaco striker was sent off against Bosnia, leading to an automatic one-game ban for the Belgium game – until the astonishing intervention of Donald Trump.

The president weighed in to lobby FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to overturn the decision, and soon after the governing body revealed it had suspended Balogun’s one-game ban until after the conclusion of the World Cup.

The shock ruling left Belgium furious, but their appeal fell on deaf ears and Balogun was given the green light to play in the last-16 clash – though in the end it made little difference to the result.

Advertisement

In Seattle, Charles De Ketelaere scored twice – either side of a Malik Tillman free-kick – to put the European giants in control, before a horror goalkeeping error from Matt Freese allowed Hans Vanaken to add a third goal.

Donald Trump intervened to ask FIFA president Gianni Infantino to overturn the one-game ban

In the end it didn’t matter as Romelu Lukaku and his team put four past the United States

In stoppage time at the end of the game, Romelu Lukaku added insult to injury with a fourth, sealing the end of the USA’s World Cup adventure.

Advertisement

Fox revealed on Tuesday that its audience for the game was the largest in US soccer history, with nearly 37 million people watching at the peak of the broadcast.

Unfortunately for the US national team, that peak came just as Freese committed his blunder to allow the Belgians to score a third goal at the Seattle Stadium. 

These viewership numbers only reflect the audience on Fox and do not include the numbers from Telemundo, which has the rights for Spanish-language broadcasts. 

It’s likely that once those are included, the average viewership will top 40million total viewers.

Advertisement

“The U.S. strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz”

Advertisement

The USA has launched ‘powerful strikes’ in Iran after commercial ships were targeted.

On Tuesday night, July 7, US Central Command spokesperson said: “U.S. Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.

“The U.S. strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

Three tankers were struck by projectiles on Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, the Press Association reported, in the latest attacks targeting vessels moving through the waterway that is central to negotiations seeking a permanent end to the war between the US and Iran.

Hours later, the US revoked the 60-day licence issued last month by the Treasury that waived sanctions on Iranian oil.

A US official said the licence was revoked because Iran’s actions in the strait were unacceptable and needed to be met with consequences.

The new assaults in the strait were the most in a single day since late April, according to UN International Maritime Organisation figures. The fresh attacks threatened to choke off the flow of traffic in the strait just as countries hoped to restore normal shipping practices and ease the global economic strain of the war.

One tanker was travelling off the coast of Oman when it was hit and caught fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said. Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings but did not directly claim the assault.

The other two ships sustained some damage, but no one was injured, and both continued on their way, the UK maritime agency said.

Tehran, which has repeatedly declared that only its approved route through the strait is safe, is suspected of attacking other ships that have used another route close to the Omani shore.

Location details provided by the UK agency show all three attacks occurred off the coast of Oman or the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, making it likely that the ships were using the route near Oman.

The US is eager to press ahead with negotiations with Iran aimed at fully reopening the strait, rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme and reaching a permanent end to the war launched on February 28. An interim deal has been strained.

Previous attacks in the strait have sparked retaliatory strikes by the US. Iran then attacked Gulf Arab states.

In peacetime, a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the channel.

Meanwhile, talks between Iran and the US appeared to be on hold until after the burial of Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war. Mourners at his funeral have called for the death of US President Donald Trump.

Authorities flew Mr Khamenei’s body to the Shiite seminary city of Qom, where mourners honoured him on Tuesday.

One tanker was carrying liquid natural gas south through the strait near Limah, Oman, when a projectile hit the left-side engine room and sparked a fire, the UKMTO said.

Iranian state TV, quoting anonymous sources, implied that Tehran carried out the assault on a tanker it said was carrying natural gas from Qatar. However, there was no official claim from the Islamic Republic for the attack.

Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat was targeted in an “unacceptable attack” on international navigation and global energy security. He called it a “serious and explicit violation” of international law.

In a post on X, he said Qatar holds Iran “fully legally responsible” for the attack.

Later Tuesday, the UK maritime agency reported that an oil tanker was hit on its left side as it exited the strait near the Omani-Emirati border. A third tanker was struck by a drone off Oman, the agency said.

Iran’s joint military command warned last Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the strait must use its approved routes. It also said that interference by US forces in the strait “will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction”.

But the Joint Maritime Information Centre, a multinational body overseen by the US navy, told shippers on Monday that the route around Oman “has been expanded and remains available for all traffic”.

Ships going to the north on the Iranian route must register with Tehran. Those going south work with Oman and the US.

Speaking om Monday at the White House, Mr Trump warned Iran that it would need to “make a deal, or we’re going to finish the job”.

“I’d rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people,” Mr Trump said. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour. We can knock out their energy supply.”

Iran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control the vessels’ routes and later charge fees for passage, which would upend decades of practice in the waterway.

The US and many Gulf Arab states say they will not agree to Iran charging for passage through the strait. An effort by Oman and the UN to launch a new route near Oman’s shore earlier sparked attacks across the Middle East.

Data firm Kpler reported that over last weekend at least 108 ships crossed through the strait using various routes.

Iranian state television aired live images on Tuesday of hundreds of thousands of people walking towards the Jamkaran Mosque, just south of Qom, for a funeral service for Mr Khamenei.

Images of Mr Khamenei and his son, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, were displayed on banners and posters held by mourners.

Mr Khamenei’s son has yet to make an appearance at the funeral ceremonies, which are unfolding over several days. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the air strike that killed his father.

Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life for the mourning, which began on Saturday.

The government-run IRNA news agency reported that Mr Khamenei’s body was taken on Tuesday night to Najaf, Iraq.

Processions are planned for Wednesday in Najaf and Karbala.

Mr Khamenei, who was 86, will then be returned to Iran to be buried on Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that was the worst speeding offence on a 30mph road and in a 20mph zone a driver was clocked going above 50mph.

Neither of the locations where the speeding offences happened were disclosed.

The RAC found that seven-in-10 police forces caught drivers travelling at twice the speed limit or more on 30mph roads last year, new data analysed by the RAC has found.

One driver was caught at 89mph on a 20mph stretch of the B5129 in Deeside, north Wales; another at 114mph on a 30mph road in Aylestone, Leicestershire – the latter close to a primary school, although the driver was caught in the middle of the night.

Other shocking examples of truly excessive speeds on 20mph roads in the daytime included someone clocked at 64mph at around 10.45am in Halifax, West Yorkshire, a 60mph speed recorded in Southport in Merseyside, and a driver logged at 48mph in Alderley Edge in Cheshire around 3pm.

Even faster speeds were recorded in the middle of the night by forces in other parts of the country, including 72mph in Holland Park in London and 68mph on the B3122 in south Bristol.

In total, across 33 UK police force areas, 271,341 drivers were caught driving at 40mph or more on 30mph roads – speeds of at least 33 per cent higher than the posted limit – while across 28 forces 32,548 drivers were caught at 30mph or more on 20mph roads.

When it comes to the highest overall speeds last year, vehicles were recorded travelling at 161mph by police forces on the A5 in Bayston Hill, Shropshire and on the M6 southbound between Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford.

Other drivers were caught at 160mph on the M6 in Cheshire, 158mph on the A14 in Suffolk and 155mph on the A38 Sutton Coldfield bypass in the West Midlands.

Speed has for a long time been one of the main factors in fatal collisions on Great Britain’s roads.

The Bolton News has previously reported that Bolton has among some of the highest numbers of injury collisions on the roads, including fatal crashes.

Work is being done to reduce the number of crashes by all the emergency services, including dramatic d emonstrations of what they face when called to a crash.

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “Our analysis shows some of the frankly chilling speeds some people are prepared to drive at – and these are just the cases the police are aware of.

“The fact that some were recorded in residential areas, even near schools, in daytime hours when others might well have been using the roads, underlines just how dangerous this kind of behaviour is.

“Such roads will almost certainly be well used by pedestrians and cyclists, so it doesn’t bear thinking about what travelling at such high speeds could have led to.

“There is a lot of work to be done.

“Despite drivers and riders exceeding speed limits being a factor in an increasing number of fatal road collisions, it’s clear that some people remain oblivious to the incredibly severe risk that driving too fast poses.

“The latest official data shows there were more than 300 fatal collisions in just one year where speeding was a factor – tragedies which are, on the whole, entirely avoidable given speeding is a choice the driver makes.

“We very much look forward to the Government’s response to its consultations on the Road Safety Strategy.

“New casualty reduction targets and an update to councils on setting local speeds are welcome, but a greater focus tackling the problem of excessive speeding and repeat offending is also desperately needed.

“Together with the Stop Excessive Speeders campaign, we therefore strongly urge the Government to introduce Intervening Intelligent Speed Assistance technology – which can prevent a vehicle from exceeding the limit – to reduce the number of drivers on our roads that puts all of us at risk.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing Chief Constable Jo Shiner said: “The fact that a majority of drivers now believe there is a culture where speeding is acceptable reflects a deeply embedded issue in driver behaviour.

“We must reset expectations and make it clear that safe, lawful driving is a shared responsibility.”

The Crescent is a 10,000 sq ft hub in the Upper Green Mall dedicated to independent and emerging retailers.

It officially launched this weekend with the opening of Café Filto, the first brand to sign on.

Filto. (Image: FILTO)

Noah Knapton, asset manager at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, said: “As these latest signings prove, the North East can lay claim to a wealth of small businesses, start-ups and scale-ups.

“What better platform to showcase their creativity and to support their further growth than The Crescent – our new, dedicated space for independent and emerging brands.

“For the retailers themselves, it offers a prime location with high footfall and unrivalled visibility in the region.

“For our customers, it delivers an even richer mix of stores, services and experiences, with more great additions still to be announced.”

A further three independent retailers are set to join The Crescent in the coming weeks.

Thatype

Thatype. (Image: THATYPE)

It is a bespoke jewellery boutique relocating from Newcastle city centre.

The store will offer custom-made rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.

Mia Fang, owner of Thatype, said: “What appealed most about The Crescent is its vision of creating a space where established brands and independent businesses can thrive alongside one another.

“It provides small businesses like ours with the opportunity to reach new customers, grow our brand, and share our passion and craftsmanship with a much wider audience.”

Webster & Carr

An award-winning men’s barber and hairdresser will open its second location at The Crescent, following the success of its Gosforth branch.

The store will offer styling, grooming, cuts and shaves, along with carefully curated fragrances.

Darren Carr, co-owner of Webster & Carr, said: “We searched for more than 18 months before we found The Crescent at Metrocentre.

“The moment we walked in, we knew our brand had found its next home.

“Not simply because of the location but because the people believed in our vision as much as we do.

“Their enthusiasm was genuine.

“Their support was obvious. We could feel it.”

Aqua TCG

Aqua TCG. (Image: AQUA TCG)

A specialist in Pokémon and trading card games, will open its first ever store at The Crescent.

The company has built a following at card shows in and around the North East region and wider UK.

James Leather, co-founder of Aqua TCG, said: “Being from Gateshead, we knew Metrocentre to be a prime location for footfall.

“Thinking of our customers, we also knew it to be easily accessible, whether travelling by car, bus or train, which was important to us.”

Space at The Crescent is in high demand, with just a few of the 10 units still available, a Metrocentre spokesperson said.

A travel agent has revealed their top picks of the best summer holiday destinations – and they’re not in the likes of Greece, Spain or Portugal

When it comes to summer travel, most of us will know the classic holiday hotspots such as Spain and the Canary Islands, Portugal, Greece and France.

They may have a reputation for being cheap and cheerful, but according to one travel pro, sticking to the mainstream destinations means you could actually be missing out on some of the best value holiday spots in July and August.

Ashley Quint, a travel agent at Traveltime World, suggested that although Europe is a firm favourite because of its near-guaranteed sunshine and hot weather, looking a bit further afield could actually get you more bang for your buck.

Ashley explained: “If you’re looking at staying in a five-star all-inclusive hotel in Greece, you could go very easily long-haul and do something for less than that, during the summer, specifically. As long as you’re as long as you’re aware of the compromises, most people who are don’t mind doing something a little bit more alternative, the value’s there.”

Advertisement

In fact, the travel pro has seen a marked increase in long-haul destinations such as Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Canada and Japan since the end of the Covid pandemic, thanks to the “pricing value of [those destinations] in the summer”.

However, Ashley admits that these destinations will only appeal for Brits who are “willing to compromise on weather“, adding that “some families are not always after the sunshine, they want a little bit of beach at the end, but if it’s cloudy, it’s cloudy”.

The weather compromise isn’t one to be taken lightly. For example if you’re eyeing up Thailand, July and August fall in the peak of its monsoon season, with intense rainfall although often in quick bursts. Still, weather remains hot and you won’t have the crowds of the winter sun months, so it can be an ideal time to explore.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s monsoon season starts to come to an end over the peak summer months, meaning you could luck out and get hot, dry and sunny weather, potentially peppered with bursts of intense rainfall. Again because the months aren’t as popular as winter, it can be a great time to explore without having to manage hordes of tourists.

Other destinations like Mauritius enjoy balmy temperatures of around 25C so it’s still hot enough to make the most of a beach, but pack layers as temperatures can drop down come evening time.

Still, if you’re someone who’s not fussed about blazing sunshine on your holiday, like quieter spots and plan to be out and about exploring, then these destinations could tick all of the boxes.

It’s worth noting of course that these comparisons are based on opting for the likes of all-inclusive package holidays in hotspots across Greece and Spain – it’s unlikely that a holiday in Mauritius will be cheaper, but it is likely that you could get a higher quality hotel (for example a 5* option) for a similar price, and that’s where the value potentially lies.

According to Ashley, there’s been a marked shift over the last few years of popular destinations for summer, as Brits look to get more value from their breaks. The likes of Madeira and Croatia have seen a boost of interest, while typically classic summer holidays such as Greece, the Canary Islands and Italy are not working out to be as cheap as they used to, causing people to “look for places that are not where necessarily everybody everybody else is going to”.

“It often varies year to year,” Ashley expanded. “But you do see it swings from one place to another, depending on what their perceived value is. Italy has become extortionately priced if you’re doing high-end all-inclusive, getting to the level where people are saying, ‘I’m not willing to pay that’.”

You can find out more at traveltimeworld.co.uk.

By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 01:57 BST, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 02:05 BST, 8 July 2026

From mountain tops, rainforests and glaciers to swollen rivers, shrinking lakes and running wild horses, talented photographers have captured nature through a series of stunning aerial shots. 

The winners of The International Aerial Photographer of the Year have been revealed after judges sifted through 1,587 entries from all corners of the globe.

Azim Khan Ronnie took home the coveted title with a photograph showing thousands of migratory Siberian seagulls feeding in Yamuna Ghat, India. 

Meanwhile Dawn Net by Chin Leong Teo captures a fisherman’s yellow net as it blooms across the water.

Advertisement

Equally dramatic is Kah-Wai Lin’s third-place photograph of Yilki horses as they surge across the dusty plateau at sunset in Cappadocia, Turkey.

The photograph of the year was handed to Vitaly Golovatyuk’s capture of a bird sitting on the water of a clear lake reflecting the sky, surrounded by red grass, in Dongtai, China.  

Amateurs and professionals were invited to enter the competition – with the use of AI strictly forbidden. 

Winners will have their aerial photographs published alongside the top 101 entries in an annual awards book, with the overall winner taking home $5,000 and a trophy.

Advertisement

Watch the birdie: Azim Khan Ronnie took home the coveted title with a photograph showing thousands of migratory Siberian seagulls feeding in Yamuna Ghat, India 

Horse power: Kah-Wai Lin’s third-place photograph of Yilki horses as they surge across the dusty plateau at sunset in Cappadocia, Turkey

The photograph of the year was handed to Vitaly Golovatyuk’s capture of a bird sitting on the water of a clear lake reflecting the sky, surrounded by red grass, in Dongtai, China 

Advertisement

Chin Leong Teo captured a fisherman’s yellow net as it blooms across the water, wrapping his small boat 

Ice see you: Taken by Rhiannon Lawler, a polar bear balances on the edge of an iceberg in East Greenland, using the height to scan the sea ice and test the wind

California’s Diablo Range at its greenest after winter rains, highlighting smooth contours and flowing patterns, was taken by Chengming Liu

Barbara Brown’s aerial shot of Salt Works in Walvis Bay, Namibia

Advertisement

Sanghamitra Sarkar’s photo shows a gathering of Hindu pilgrims sitting in a circular pattern around a central litter carrying sacred footwear

The sharp, steep, and layered hills in the Badlands of Utah by A J Rich

Bali’s rice terraces cascade down the hillsides in vivid green steps, shaped by centuries of careful irrigation by Chin Leong Teo

Hindu devotees gathered in Dhaka, fasting and praying with incense and oil lamps by Azim Khan Ronnie

Advertisement

Thousands of bright red chilli peppers are harvested in the hot sun before being sorted ready to be delivered to spice companies in the Sariakandi, Bogura, Bangladesh, also by Azim Khan Ronnie

A lone person crossing a traffic junction in central Tokyo by Chin Leong Teo

An aerial shot of The Park Royal Hotel in Singapore by Chin Leong Teo

Chef Will Murray of Fallow restaurant swears by this simple oven method for perfectly crispy streaky bacon

Whether you’re making breakfast or meal prepping for the week, bacon is a versatile favourite that adds a satisfying crunch and rich, salty flavour to almost any dish. While many people cook it in a frying pan, air fryer or even the microwave, the oven is often the most overlooked method.

According to chef Will Murray of Fallow restaurant, baking bacon in the oven is the best way to achieve consistently crisp results. Although thinner slices may cook a little faster than thicker ones, the oven helps the bacon cook evenly, producing crispy strips from edge to edge.

The chef, however, swears by adding one particular ingredient midway through the cooking process — sugar.

For this method, Will recommends opting for streaky bacon, as it carries more fat, and as he puts it, “fat means flavour”.

The chef begins by laying the rashers on a baking tray before placing it into a preheating oven at 180C for five minutes.

There’s no requirement to line the baking tray with foil or greaseproof paper, since the bacon contains sufficient fat to prevent it from sticking.

The appeal of this approach is that not only can you cook large quantities of bacon simultaneously, but you can also manage the outcome with greater precision.

Once the five minutes have elapsed, much of the fat has rendered out of the bacon, and it’s time to turn it over. At this stage, the chef scatters demerara sugar over the rashers.

Advertisement

In addition to crisping the bacon further, the sugar imparts an “awesome sweetness”. However, when incorporating the sugar, it is important not to be too heavy-handed, as an overly candied result can leave the bacon unpleasantly tough.

The following step involves returning the bacon to the oven for an additional five minutes at the same temperature.

Upon removing the bacon from the oven, the chef demonstrated to viewers how the edges had become “really nice and crispy”, asserting that no alternative method can rival it.

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

It’s too hot to think. I don’t know about you, but every day is currently a reminder of just how many decisions we have to make each day: three whole meals, if you should bother leaving the house, and what you’re going to wear to survive the sweat-sodden commute.

Whether you’re going to the office or lounging in the park, you better make sure it’s loose and made of breathable material. Then, if you can muster it, you can think about whether it looks nice.

But if there’s one way to dodge having to make any logical decisions about what skirt goes with what top, it’s co-ords.

Every year, a matching outfit is my ticket to keeping – and looking – as cool as I possibly can through the summer months.

So if your brain is feeling as fried as your skin is right now, we’ve rounded up 13 summer co-ords that will see you through the heatwave. And don’t worry, there are options suitable for commutes, picnics, strolling around a city, and even dinner dates.

The research also suggested racism is now viewed as an issue at least as serious as sectarianism in Northern Ireland

Three in five people in Northern Ireland support immigration checks on the border with the Republic of Ireland, even if it means creating a harder border, according to new polling carried out in the aftermath of last month’s riots.

The More in Common survey, which saw interviewed 1,000 adults across NI, found 62 per cent backed border checks, while 71 per cent said the UK Government, Irish Government and Northern Ireland Executive should work together on migration issues. Nationalist voters were almost evenly split, with 45 per cent supporting checks and 44 per cent preferring to keep the border open as it is.

The research, conducted a month after the disorder erupted across parts of Belfast and Northern Ireland in the wake of the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, also found immigration is now one of the public’s biggest concerns.

Some 44 per cent of respondents ranked it among the three most important issues facing Northern Ireland, while 78 per cent said they were concerned about illegal immigration compared with 34 per cent who expressed concern about legal migration.

However, the survey also found strong public condemnation of the violence, with 62 per cent describing the disorder as riots rather than protests, 60 per cent saying it brought shame on Northern Ireland, and 77 per cent saying those involved did not speak for them.

The polling also found overwhelming opposition to violent acts committed during the unrest. Nine in ten respondents said setting fire to vehicles was unjustified, 87 per cent said attacks on migrant homes and businesses could not be justified, and 80 per cent opposed intimidating migrants into leaving their communities. Peaceful protest was the only action tested that attracted majority support, with 75 per cent saying it was justified.

The research suggests racism is now viewed as an issue at least as serious as sectarianism in Northern Ireland. Three-quarters of respondents (76 per cent) described racism as a serious problem, compared with 73 per cent who said the same of sectarianism, while 68 per cent cited paramilitary activity. Six in ten believed racism had increased over the past five years, and half felt society had not done enough to tackle it.

Asked how politicians should respond to outbreaks of violence, 58 per cent said their priority should be reducing tensions, correcting misinformation and avoiding inflaming the situation. Just 4 per cent believed politicians should encourage public anger.

The survey also painted a mixed picture of public attitudes towards Northern Ireland more broadly. Nearly half of respondents (49 per cent) said the region feels divided, yet 60 per cent believed its best years are still ahead, and three-quarters said people generally look out for one another.

Conleth Burns, Associate Director for Northern Ireland at More in Common, said: “A month on from the riots, what’s clear from this research is that people right across Northern Ireland – from all community backgrounds – condemn the riots. People looked at burning cars, buses and homes and said this is not us, and this is not who we want to be.

“The same public in Northern Ireland that rejected the violence is worried about both racism, which people now rate as a more serious problem than sectarianism, and about immigration, which is a top concern for many voters and the top concern for unionist voters.

“We also find a depth of public concern about immigration in Northern Ireland. While the political debate seems to be stuck on whether legitimate concerns exist at all, the public are past that argument and asking what should be done, particularly on illegal immigration.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.