Police are monitoring "stress" and "growing discontent" within unionist communities over the Irish Sea border.

A week after he addressed the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan has said there has been an increase in community tension over the NI protocol.

Loyalist paramilitaries probably played a role in organising protest rallies against the Northern Ireland Protocol this year, a police commander has said.

Tension within loyalist communities is greater than at any point since the ceasefires of 1994, the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) leader has said.