Northern Ireland Assembly rejects gay marriage motion

A proposal to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples in Northern Ireland has been rejected by the Assembly.

Members of the Assembly voted 51 to 43 against the Sinn Fein motion, the third time the matter has been brought to a vote.

The Democratic Unionists tabled a contentious voting mechanism ahead of the debate, meaning the motion could only pass if a majority of both unionists and nationalists supported it.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without marriage rights and Amnesty International has warned there could be a legal challenge.