People involved in recent disorder in Northern Ireland are “causing destruction to their own communities” the deputy first minister has said.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)’s Emma Little-Pengelly told reporters at Causeway Hospital nothing was achieved by violence.

She said she wanted to send a “very very strong message against racism”.

She was joined by DUP MP Gregory Campbell as they met with Northern Trust staff to acknowledge the role of overseas health workers in Northern Ireland.

Ms Little-Pengelly said people had “very genuinely held” concerns about issues including “public services and access to housing”.

She added: “Those are issues we need to address through government, through democratic means”.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said all politicians in Northern Ireland had a responsibility to call out recent disorder as “racist violence”.

He was speaking on a visit to a community centre in Belfast to see how the government could assist following recent disorder prompted by anti-immigration protests.

He also met political representatives, the police, affected business owners, and the Belfast Islamic Centre.

Mr Benn said he became increasingly angry when listening to the experiences of businesses whose premises had been attacked.

But he would not be drawn on whether the government would provide additional financial resources to assist the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

He said he was well “aware of the police numbers” in Northern Ireland, but stressed that those decisions rested with the executive.

“Whoever is in government with the budget you’ve got, you’ve got to decide what your priorities are,” he said.

“And I have no doubt that the chief constable is making his case as I’m sure the justice minister is doing as well.

“But that is a decision for the executive to determine.”

“I hope very much that when the assembly reconvenes tomorrow, we will see all of the political parties in Northern Ireland united in their condemnation of what has been going on,” Mr Benn said.

He added that all elected representatives had “a responsibility to call out this racist violence for what it is, because it’s targeted at a particular section of our community”.

He said people were entitled to protest and to express their political views, but there was no justification for violence.

On Wednesday, a health care worker’s home in Ballyclare was attacked in what police have described as a racially motivated hate crime.

The front window of a house in Erskine Park was smashed and a brick thrown through the windscreen of a car parked outside in the early hours of Wednesday.

Police said they were also aware of racist graffiti being sprayed on a wall in the area.

Earlier in the week, a nurse in Belfast told BBC News NI that she will leave Northern Ireland when her contract is finished because of recent disorder.

BBC News NI understands that in the Belfast Trust there are about 10 nurses from overseas who have said they are leaving Northern Ireland.

Last month, eight African families were forced to leave the Ballycraigy estate after their homes were marked out with spray paint and racist material was taped to their windows.

Several families also had their car windows smashed.

Four of the eight families who had to leave their homes were employed as nurses in the Northern Trust.

There has been widespread disorder across the UK – which erupted after the fatal stabbing of three girls in Southport – with unrest fuelled by misinformation online.

A number of businesses were targeted after an anti-immigration protest at Belfast City Hall on Saturday.

Further disorder erupted on Monday and Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday, a car was driven into an estate agent in north Belfast and a boy was injured during disorder outside a supermarket in the west of the city.

Other incidents, including criminal damage, were reported in County Antrim.

The PSNI are treating the incidents as racially motivated hate crimes and they have made a number of arrests since the weekend.

“The scenes we have been seeing across Belfast over the last few days have been a disgrace and have no place in Northern Ireland,” said Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones.

The PSNI has set up a Major Incident Public Portal for people to submit information, images and footage which they have gathered by mobile phone, dash cam or CCTV.