On Tuesday night police prevented a clash between supporters of the Somme Commemoration parade and nationalists at Church Place.

Normality was quickly restored with traffic flowing through the town centre.

A number of youths, both loyalist and nationalist remained in the town centre area until about 11pm and one male youth was arrested for a public order offence.

He was later released after being charged with the offence to Craigavon Magistrates Court.

Police came under attack on Monday night as they tried to calm tensions as two groups faced off - in a shorter rerun of a similar stand-off last year.

The incident was sparked around 8pm as one group hung red, white and blue bunting in Church Place while a number of youths attempted to put up tricolours.

As police tried to calm the situation they came under attack and two police vehicles were damaged.

A 17-year-old was arrested and later released on bail pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.

Sinn Fein accused the Parades Commission of Ignoring nationalists in relation to Tuesday night's Somme Commemoration parade - which they blamed for.motivating the trouble.

Councillor Michael Tallon said had their advice been followed the situation in Lurgan town centre on Monday night could have been prevented.

He also criticised the PSNI decision to remove a small number of tricolours at the rear of Shankill parish church "following threats from unionists while allowing the erection of union flags and bunting".

Cllr Tallon said: “The decision by the Parades Commission flies in the face of the new political dispensation that we now live in. We feel that the Parades Commission were wrong in allowing what is nothing more than a coat trailing exercise.

"It is our view that those behind this parade aren’t serious about celebrating the anniversary of the Somme and are abusing the memory of those who took part in that battle. Many from within the nationalist community fought at the Somme under the Irish tricolour. Union flags and bunting erected by the parade organisers do nothing to appeal to those from other sides of the community."

He concluded: “If the PSNI had removed all the flags and bunting from both sides of the community then we would have had no difficulty; however, this one-sided approach does nothing to gain support for the PSNI in nationalist areas. Sinn Féin intend raising these matters at the local District Policing Partnership and the Policing Board.