The town is transformed says MP Jim Allister, but protests continue and communities targeted by the violence remain fearful.

The man told BBC News NI he was afraid anti-Roma sentiment had spread across Northern Ireland following riots in June.

The alleged assault set off an outcry in Ballymena, a town of about 31,000 people, and tapped into a broader anti-immigrant movement that has resulted in several outbreaks of violence in recent years.

The Romanian Embassy has been in contact with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council following riots in Ballymena last month, councillors have been told.