Earlier, Alliance leader David Ford requested an immediate recall of the assembly, which was backed by the SDLP's Pat Ramsey and two Ulster Unionist assembly members, Basil McCrea and John McCallister.

BBC: Northern Ireland Assembly session over flag disturbances

Other studies, like the one highlighted in this New Scientist article, have found that some aspects of memory seem to be improved by chewing gum, particularly immediate and delayed word recall, while others are not.

FORBES: Chew Yourself a Better Brain