ESSEX Police has sent officers to Northern Ireland to help deal with rioting following the province’s July 12 march.

The force is one of a number in Great Britain to have sent reinforcements after trouble flared on Friday night when Protestant Orangemen were prevented from walking along a 300m stretch of road which passes a nationalist area of north Belfast.

Some 44 police officers have been injured and more than 49 people aged between 15 and 52 arrested since Friday.

The officers from Essex have been deployed as part of the mutual aid programme which sees UK police forces lend officers to each other during riots or international events which require a high security presence, such as the G8 Summit.

It is anticipated the officers will be deployed in north and east Belfast, which have seen the worst of the violence.

It is not known how many officers have been sent to the province.