Image caption Residents examine a burnt out van at the scene on Lake Street

Trouble flared in Lurgan after the visit of a delegation to discuss anti-social behaviour in the area, the SDLP's Dolores Kelly has said.

Ms Kelly said the trouble on Wednesday was caused by a small group "who are just a scourge on the local community".

Police said a van and a car were burnt out during the disturbances in the Lake Street area of the County Armagh town.

A 24-year-old man and a woman in her 20s were arrested for disorderly behaviour following the disruption.

The main Belfast to Dublin railway line through Lurgan was closed for a period because of the trouble.

Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd said that those involved in the violence were only damaging their own community.

"I share the frustration and anger of local people at these actions. Anyone who cares for the well-being of their community or wishes to serve it must know that this is clearly counterproductive," he added.

Dolores Kelly said the area around Lake Street was "a magnet for anti-social behaviour".

'Violence escalated'

Ms Kelly said her party had hosted a visit to the area by the justice minister, police, the community safety partnership and local councillors to discuss the problem.

She said the violence began in the afternoon and escalated during early evening.

"People are tormented around that area, they are just fed up," she said.

"This very small group of people are just a scourge on the local community. They need to be apprehended and brought before the courts."

The Upper MLA said the area needed investment "in terms of activities for our young people and our children".

"Over the past four or five months, there have been four incidents and the policing operation of those incidents has cost over £100,000," she said.

"That's money which could be much better spend in providing a good policing service to locals in that area."

She said that reports of shots on Wednesday had been particularly worrying.

"Only a couple of months ago, a couple of handguns were recovered from that particular area.

"That's one of the reasons why local people do live in fear because there does seem to be access by some individuals to weapons and people are very frightened of what could and might happen."