Countries issue safety warnings over travel to UK amid riots

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People are being warned of the dangers of visiting the UK, with five countries issuing travel alerts following almost a week of rioting.
Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates – all of which have majority Muslim populations – and Australia have told citizens to be careful if they are thinking of coming to Britain or are already there after the far-Right violence flared.
Australia has told its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution”, while Nigeria informed nationals that the unrest had “assumed dangerous proportions”.
Sir Keir Starmer responded to criticism of his handling of the disorder by announcing a “standing army” of specialist public duty police officers, warning people involved in the riots that they would be named, shamed and jailed. 
Downing Street insisted there were enough free prison cells to “lock up anyone involved” in the violence.
The Prime Minister has faced calls from Nigel Farage, among others, to recall Parliament to discuss the response to the disorder, but said there was currently no need to do so and also appeared to rule out asking the Army for assistance.
Rioting and thuggery has broken out in more than a dozen towns and cities including London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Sunderland, with some violence directly targeting mosques as well as hotels housing asylum seekers.
It followed incorrect speculation on social media about the motive for the knife attack at a dance workshop in Southport, Merseyside, last Monday, which claimed the lives of three children.
Images of the riots have been seen around the world, and at least five countries have now issued travel warnings to their citizens about the dangers of spending time in the UK.
Australia’s government advised its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution”, adding: “Avoid areas where protests are occurring due to the potential for disruption and violence.”
The ministry of foreign affairs in Nigeria, which is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world by the Global Peace Index, warned nationals that the violence had “assumed dangerous proportions” and there was “an increased risk of violence and disorder occasioned by the recent riots in the UK”.
Malaysia’s High Commission, the Indonesian embassy and the embassy of the United Arab Emirates all issued alerts to their citizens advising them to stay away from protest areas, avoid large crowds and stay vigilant.
Similar warnings were issued by countries including Germany, France, Sweden, Finland and Taiwan following the August 2011 riots, which were triggered by the shooting of Mark Duggan, who was later found by a coroner’s jury to have been lawfully killed by the Metropolitan Police.
Sir Keir chaired a Cobra emergency meeting on Monday, saying afterwards: “There are a number of actions that came out of the meeting.
“The first is we will have a standing army of specialist public duty officers so that we will have enough officers to deal with this where we need them. The second is we will ramp up criminal justice. There have already been hundreds of arrests, and some have appeared in court this morning.
“I have asked for early consideration of the earliest naming and identification of those involved in the process, who will feel the full force of the law.”
It comes after the National Police Chiefs’ Council said on Sunday there were 4,000 extra officers in place across the country ready to be deployed.
After the rioting over the weekend, volunteers were praised for joining forces with council workers to clean up debris. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, lauded the “massive turn out of local people” helping with the clean-up when he visited Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
More than 370 arrests had been made across the country by Monday afternoon.
Thanks for joining us in our coverage of the Southport riots. Here are the key moments from today:
One child remains in hospital a week after the Southport stabbing while all other patients have been discharged, a spokesman for Merseyside Police has said.
 
Police have made 378 arrests so far since disorder broke out last week and the total is expected to rise each day, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said.
NPCC chairman Gavin Stephens said: “Every community across the country will have been affected in some way by the violent disorder we have seen in this past week.
“I want to reassure the public that a united and robust policing response is in place across the country and we are doing all we can to tackle this disorder and keep you safe.
“All forces have been requested not only to increase the number of specialist resources in their local area, but to contribute to regional reserves, coordinated nationally.
“So far 378 arrests have been made and we expect that total to rise each day as forces continue to identify those involved and continue to apprehend those responsible. Work is going on around the clock to do this and those involved will be brought to justice.
“We have been clear that this is not protest activity or people exercising their democratic right. It is unnecessary violence and we’ve seen important community hubs like a Citizen’s Advice Bureau and a library completely destroyed.”
Family doctors and their teams have been urged to “remain vigilant, particularly when travelling to and from work”, after reports of attacks on healthcare workers.
The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) highlighted “horrific and unacceptable” abuse and violence towards healthcare workers, “especially those from ethnic minorities”.
The College urged staff to travel in groups “where possible” and to try to avoid areas where there is known unrest.
The British Foreign Office warns that terrorists are very likely to try and carry out attacks and kidnappings in Nigeria, with threats predominantly from Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) and Boko Haram.
As a result, British nationals are advised against travelling to all parts of the country. It is ranked 147 out of 163 countries on the Global Peace Index.
In recent days, the country has been embroiled in deadly demonstrations as a result of the cost of living crisis. At least seven people have died since Thursday last week and more than 700 were arrested.
 
Foreign state actors may be amplifying online disinformation that has fuelled the past week of riots on Britain’s streets, Downing Street has suggested.
Russian state media were among those sharing false claims that the suspect accused of killing three young girls in Southport was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK by boat.
Channel3Now, which purports to be a legitimate American news outlet but acts as an “aggregator” for fake claims, wrongly named the attacker as Ali Al-Shakati, believed to be a fictitious name.
Read the full story here.
The necessary support must be put in place to enable courts to deal with rioters charged by police, the Law Society president has said. 
Nick Emmerson described how the “goodwill” of solicitors being called on to work extra hours is “fast running out” amid the increase in violent disorder.
He added: “It is paramount that justice is done for all those who have been involved in, or are victims of, the riots.
“We commend the UK government for its swift response and want to see that the necessary support and resources are provided for both prosecution and defence lawyers, courts staff and judiciary in dealing with this emergency.
“The criminal justice system has suffered significant neglect over the last decade and has less resilience and flexibility with severe backlogs in the Magistrates and Crown Courts.
“The criminal defence profession is also depleted and over-worked and the goodwill of the solicitors who are being called on to work additional antisocial hours is fast running out.”
Declan Geiran, 29, of Kelso Road, Liverpool, has pleaded guilty at Liverpool magistrates’ court to violent disorder and arson.
On Saturday Geiran was seen on CCTV in Liverpool city centre using an “implement” to set fire to a police Ford Transit van which had been abandoned by officers, Joshua Sanderson-Kirk, prosecuting, said.
He was tracked by CCTV and arrested, the court heard.
No application for bail was made and Geiran was remanded in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on August 30.
Three countries with large Muslim populations have issued travel alerts to their nationals visiting the UK.
Nigeria, Malaysia and Indonesia have warned their nationals to stay away from demonstrations and stay vigilant.
Nigeria’s ministry of foreign affairs warned nationals that the violence had “assumed dangerous proportions” and there was “an increased risk of violence and disorder occasioned by the recent riots in the UK”.
Malaysia’s High Commission added: “Malaysians residing in or travelling to the United Kingdom are urged to stay away from protest areas, remain vigilant and follow the latest updates and guidance provided by local authorities.”
The Indonesian embassy in London meanwhile advised its citizens in the UK to avoid large crowds and increase their vigilance.
The Labour MP for Tamworth, Sarah Edwards, said in a statement issued on her social media accounts that the attack on the town’s Holiday Inn Express had put lives at risk.
Urging local people to help police identify those responsible, Ms Edwards said: “It is not protest. It’s not legitimate. It is crime and violent disorder. An assault on the rule of law.
“It was distressing to see petrol bombs and fireworks being thrown towards police and emergency workers and it was horrifying to see such violence towards the most vulnerable in our society.”
Saying such behaviour would not be tolerated, she added: “Those who are intent on stoking disorder and division are not welcome and do not speak for Britain or for Tamworth.
“It is fortunate that no one inside the hotel was injured, but rest assured those involved in the violence will face the full force of the justice system.”
Sir Keir Starmer does not consider concerns about immigration “far-Right”, Downing Street has said.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly criticised “far-Right thuggery” on the streets of Britain in the past weeks after riots by a number of anti-immigrant groups.
Asked whether it was “far-Right to be concerned about immigration”, his official spokesman said: “No, the PM considers there to be legitimate concerns around immigration, the high levels of immigration we’ve seen, for instance, with all the action the Government is taking to tackle that.”
“But what he’s clear about is that we cannot legitimise the violent criminality that we’ve seen over the last week or so by suggesting it is due to legitimate concerns around immigration.”
The spokesman added: “When the PM talks about far-Right thuggery, he’s talking about those who violently assault people because of the colour of their skin or their faith.”
Ireland will ban “intimidating” rioters from wearing balaclavas after clashes with police at anti-immigration demonstrations.
The Irish government has received legal advice that a ban on face coverings is possible when there is clear intent to intimidate or to prevent police identifying someone committing a crime.
Read the full story here. 
Sir Keir Starmer has rejected demands to recall Parliament to debate the far-Right riots.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the “focus” of the Government is on tackling the rioting and co-ordinating with the police instead.
It comes after Nigel Farage pressured the Prime Minister to recall Parliament and accused him of a “faltering approach” towards the riots currently sweeping Britain.
Read the full story here. 
Chris Cooke, Middlesbrough Mayor welcomed hundreds of volunteers who came to the town’s Cenotaph before 8am on Monday to take part in a mass clean-up operation.
Mr Cooke said: “The dreadful scenes we witnessed on Sunday have no place in Middlesbrough, and do not represent the diverse and welcoming town we all know and love.
“Violence and hate speech will never prevail here, or break the wonderful community spirit that is the very embodiment of this place.
“We also all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Cleveland Police who displayed immense bravery in the face of such mindless thuggery, and they will have our full support in bringing those responsible to justice.
“To see so many people who care about Middlesbrough and their fellow residents coming together this morning to help in the clean-up operation has been truly humbling, and that should be the abiding image people have of our town.”
Yvette Cooper has for the first time used the term “Islamophobia” to describe the actions of some rioters behind the current violence on Britain’s streets.
The Home Secretary condemned far-Right rioters who targeted mosques. They did so despite there being no evidence the suspect in the Southport killings was linked to the Muslim community.
Read the full story here.
Greater Manchester Police said it arrested 19 people while policing protests over the weekend.
Officers made five arrests on Saturday and a further 14 on Sunday relating to several different alleged offences, including criminal damage and violent disorder.
Seven people were charged with possession of a weapon, including two 16-year-olds, while one person was charged with assault.
Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said: “There are consequences for inciting hate and causing damage, and those who have broken the law will be held accountable for their actions.
“Where arrests have been made, charges have been quickly sought and some offenders have already appeared before the courts and we expect to make further arrests.
“We have gathered extensive video evidence, collected testimonies, and our intelligence teams are working vigorously with support from the full force to identify further criminal behaviour and locate those responsible. Justice will be forthwith.
“I am proud of all the efforts of our officers and staff made to bring these events to a largely peaceful conclusion and from preventing illegal acts to bring about harm to those who want to live in harmony.”
Foreign state actors may be amplifying online disinformation that has fuelled the past week of riots on Britain’s streets, Downing Street has suggested.
Russian state media were among those sharing false claims that the suspect accused of killing three young girls in Southport was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK last year by boat.
Read the full story here.
The Liberal Democrats welcomed new measures announced by the Government to tackle disorder on Britain’s streets.
Party leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The country has rightly been appalled and outraged at the despicable actions of a tiny minority. All those thugs who have rioted and carried out racist attacks must face the full force of the law.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe in their homes, communities and places of worship.
“We welcome the actions taken by our brave police officers and the new measures announced today by the Government to clamp down on criminals attempting to terrorise our communities.
“People from all backgrounds and all walks of life have come together to condemn these riots and clean up the damage.
“It is they who truly represent Britain, not the rioters and those who have incited them.”
Sir Keir Starmer said his focus was on ensuring police are able to carry out their duties, when asked if a recall of Parliament was needed in the wake of the riots.
The Prime Minister told broadcasters: “My focus is on ensuring we have got the right people carrying out their duties to ensure that our streets are safe.
“For the public that is the first duty of Government and that is where my absolute focus is.”
Pressed on the matter, Sir Keir added: “My focus is on making sure that we stop this disorder, that the criminal sanctions are swift and be seen to be followed.”
Regarding an incident on Monday in which Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley appeared to grab a journalist’s microphone and drop it onto the ground, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “The Commissioner had a positive and constructive meeting with the Prime Minister and partners across government and policing.
“He was in a hurry to return to New Scotland Yard to take action on the agreed next steps.”
Sir Keir Starmer said a “standing army” of specialist police officers would be set up to deal with rioting and unrest.
Speaking after an emergency Cobra meeting, the Prime Minister said: “There are a number of actions that came out of the meeting.
“The first is we will have a standing army of specialist public duty officers so that we will have enough officers to deal with this where we need them.
“The second is we will ramp up criminal justice. There have already been hundreds of arrests, some have appeared in court this morning.
“I have asked for early consideration of the earliest naming and identification of those involved in the process who will feel the full force of the law.”
It comes after the National Police Chiefs’ Council said on Sunday there were 4,000 extra officers in place across the country ready to be deployed.
Sir Keir Starmer has said two-tier policing is a “non-issue” when asked about the moment Sir Mark Rowley appeared to grab a journalist’s microphone after being questioned over the matter.
The Prime Minister said: “There’s no two-tier policing, there’s policing without fear or favour.
“That is a non-issue. The focus here is not on the apparent motivation of anyone involved in this. This is violence.”
It came after the Metropolitan Police Commissioner was asked by a Sky News reporter: “Are you going to end two-tier policing?”
Sir Mark could be seen reaching out towards the microphone, grabbing a part of it and throwing it to the ground before leaving without saying anything.
No requests have been made for Army assistance to quell riots, Downing Street has said.
Following Monday morning’s emergency Cobra meeting, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The police are very clear that they’ve got the powers and resources they need to protect communities and keep people safe.
“There’s been no requests made for any military assistance, that I’m aware of.”
Online misinformation fuelling disorder on Britain’s streets may be being amplified by foreign state actors, Downing Street has suggested.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told journalists: “I think some of this is public information that clearly we have seen bot activity online, much of which may well be amplified with the involvement of state actors amplifying some of the disinformation and misinformation that we’ve seen.
“And that is something that the NCA and DSIT are looking at in relation to what we’ve seen online. I obviously can’t get into more detail than that, but it is clearly something that is being looked at.”
The official declined to get into more detail on which states may be behind it, but added: “The disinformation that we’ve seen online attracts amplification from known bot activity, which, as I say, can be linked to state-backed activity”.
The Government is confident there are enough free prison cells to “lock up anyone involved” in the recent violent disorder, Downing Street has said.
Following the emergency Cobra meeting, Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman told reporters: “The Justice Secretary confirmed that there’s enough capacity in the prison system to lock up anyone involved in the riots that we’ve seen over the weekend.
“There are also processes and protocols in place between the police and the prison service to manage a short-term influx of people being held on remand.
“But more broadly, it’s exactly why the Government has taken the necessary measures to tackle prison overcrowding, in order to ensure that in incidents like we’ve seen over the past week, we are able to lock people up who are causing disorder on our streets.”
Action taken by social media companies to tackle misleading and inflammatory material “doesn’t go far enough”, Downing Street has said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “The Government is working with social media platforms to ensure that they are removing content quickly, that their processes are in place.
“But there is more that they can and should be doing, as I think the Prime Minister has said, to counter misleading and inflammatory material hosted on their platforms.
“They have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their users and online spaces to ensure that criminal activity is not being posted on their platforms. They shouldn’t be waiting for the Online Safety Act for that.
“They already have responsibilities in place under the law and they have responsibilities that we will hold them to account for.”
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle is continuing to have conversations with social media firms, the official said.
Anyone whipping up violence online could face prison, Downing Street has said.
In a read-out of Monday morning’s emergency Cobra meeting, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The police, Home Office, DSIT (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) and NCA (National Crime Agency) are working to tackle criminality online, to ensure people are prosecuted for online criminal activity. And they are working to tackle misinformation and bot activity.”
The official continued: “I should be very clear that anyone who stokes this violence, whether on the internet or in person, can be prosecuted and face prison.”
Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to police officers tackling disorder on Britain’s streets during Monday morning’s emergency Cobra meeting.
His official spokesman told reporters: “The Prime Minister convened a meeting of Cobra this morning to update on the response for the disorder we’ve seen. This follows a series of meetings last week and over the weekend.
“Cobra was attended by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Home Secretary, Justice Secretary, DSIT (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Secretary, Attorney General, Chief Secretary and leaders from police, prison service, NCA (National Crime Agency) and other senior officials.
“The PM paid tribute to the hard work of police officers over the past week and sent best wishes to those who have been injured protecting our streets.
“There have been hundreds of arrests and people are already being charged, and police will continue to update on the specifics in relation to progress or arrests and charging.
“The police are continuing to deploy additional resource around the country at strategic locations where necessary.”
Members of the Middlesbrough community clean up their streets after far-Right activists destroyed property during riots.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has condemned the “lawlessness and thuggery” seen on Britain’s streets in recent days, saying a “national conversation” is needed on promoting respect for the country and each other.
The organisation’s president, Phil Rosenberg, said: “Attacks on Muslims, black people, members of other minorities, and our brave police officers, are totally unacceptable, and we stand in solidarity with everyone affected.
“As a society, we have to be better than this. We need a national conversation about how we promote respect for our country and respect for each other, and how about we tackle extremism and build cohesion.
“The Board of Deputies will play its full part in this effort.”
Yvette Cooper is seen in Westminster before appearing on breakfast radio and tv shows after a weekend of riots across the UK.
Jeremy Corbyn and four fellow independent MPs have criticised Sir Keir Starmer for not going “nearly far enough in identifying the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim hatred” behind the riots on Britain’s streets.
In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, shared on social media, they wrote: “While we welcome the Prime Minister’s condemnation of the ‘far-Right thuggery’ that has scarred our towns and cities this weekend, we feel his words do not go nearly far enough in identifying the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim hatred driving this violence.
“When people are under attack for the colour of their skin and their faith, Government references to ‘understandable fears’ send mixed messages and only give succour to those seeking to sow hatred and division.”
The five MPs – Mr Corbyn, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed and Shockat Adam – also called for an urgent meeting with the Home Secretary to “discuss what actions are planned to stamp out this racist terror”.
Together with my independent colleagues, I have written to the Home Secretary requesting an urgent meeting in light of the far-right riots. We must call out this violence for what it is: rampant Islamophobia. pic.twitter.com/Fk5RUzXa84
Lindsey Butterfield, South Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable, branded the disorder caused by some 750 “far-Right and anti-immigration” protesters outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham “a disgusting display of thuggery”.
Ms Butterfield said an initial group of 250 people had arrived on Sunday morning, with an additional 500 joining them shortly afterwards.
She said the police believe they “held far-Right and anti-immigration views”.
“At the same time, a large crowd began to gather in Sheffield city centre, diverting a large number of force resources,” Ms Butterfield added.
Speaking of the violence outside a hotel in Rotherham, she said: “There was a particularly sickening moment when a wheelie bin was pushed against the hotel and set on fire with the clear intent to cause serious harm to the residents and staff. It was known there were people residing and working in the hotel but the mindless individuals responsible had absolutely no regard for their safety.
“It was ultimately a disgusting display of thuggery, continuing well into the evening, with our policing operation only finishing around 5am.”
Carol Dean, the leader of Tamworth Borough Council, and Stephen Gabriel, its chief executive, have issued a joint statement condemning Sunday’s violent attack on the town’s Holiday Inn Express.
Their statement said: “The outbreak of violence and criminal damage is totally unacceptable.
“We will do everything in our power to support the authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to account for their actions.
“Everyone has a right to express their views, that must be done, peacefully and responsibly.
“While we understand and respect the right of citizens to express their concerns and opinions, we cannot and will not support actions that resort to violence, intimidations and disorder.
“These events are not a reflection of our town and its community.”
This morning’s Cobra meeting appears to have finished, with Shabana Mahmood, Justice Secretary, leaving the Cabinet Office.
Ms Mahmood ignored questions from the press as she walked to her car outside.
Senior police chiefs who are understood to have attended Monday morning’s Cobra meeting have also left the Cabinet Office.
Five more people have been charged in connection with disorder, Merseyside Police said.
Gareth Metcalfe, 44, and John O’Malley, 43, both of Cambridge Gardens in Southport, have been charged with violent disorder after a group was seen showing aggression towards police in the town last Tuesday.
A 14-year-old boy from Toxteth, who cannot be named because of his age, has been charged with violent disorder in Liverpool city centre on Saturday after officers in Clayton Square had fireworks set off in their direction.
Joshua Sanderson-Kirk, prosecuting, said the boy was seen by police officers among a group of eight to 12 other young people in Clayton Square, Liverpool, at about 10.30pm on August 3 setting fireworks off in the direction of members of the public and a police carrier.
The court heard the boy said “I’m sorry, I wasn’t firing them at you, though”, when he was arrested by police after they gave chase. He had five fireworks and a lighter in his possession.
Adam Wharton, 28, and Ellis Wharton, 22, of Selwyn Street, Walton, have both been charged with burglary other than a dwelling after a group entered the Spellow Hub library on County Road on Saturday and were challenged by officers trying to steal equipment.
Ellis Wharton was also charged with assault on an emergency worker.
All the defendants will appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
A 41-year-old man has pleaded guilty to violent disorder following unrest in Sunderland.
Andrew Smith, of High Street East, Sunderland, has been remanded in custody until Sept 2, when he will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court.
Shaun Doran, 48, of Villette Road, Sunderland, pleaded not guilty to the same offence when he appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.
He was also remanded in custody until his next hearing, also to take place on Sept 2 at Newcastle Crown Court.
Officers had faeces and urine thrown at them during 17-hour shifts policing riots in Rotherham. 
06:11am clocking off after starting at 13:00pm yesterday. I was sent down to #Rotherham with my Northants colleagues to help colleagues at S.Yorkshire Police. Urine, animal faeces, fire works, objects directed onto/at us. Adults encouraging young children to join in. Nothing… pic.twitter.com/SPoV9a5Ip6
Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire mayor, has said officers who were hurt following disorder in Rotherham suffered “significant injuries” including fractures.
Mr Coppard said: “The police officers on the line here were the bravest of the brave.
“There were 10 police officers injured, a police horse was injured, those people were facing bricks and mortar being thrown at them by people intent on violence.”
He said: “They are on the mend. They are brave, tough people. That’s why they do the job that they do.
“They did the bravest of jobs yesterday standing between a far-Right hate mob and those people in the hotel.”
Mr Coppard confirmed that everyone living in the hotel has now been relocated
Two men have been charged with public order offences following disorder in Bristol city centre on Saturday, Avon and Somerset Police said.
Adrian Croft, 45, of Holywell, Flintshire, was charged with a Section 4 public order offence and possession of a Class A drug.
Damien Williams, 39, of Stockwood Crescent, Knowle, was charged with a Section 4 public order offence.
Both men have been bailed and will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Thursday September 5.
Mark Hardingham, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, has said the body is “appalled” by the “horrific scenes of violence” over the weekend. 
He said: “We are appalled at the horrific scenes of violence that we have witnessed over the past few days. We have significant concerns about the escalation in arson which presents a considerable risk to the lives of those inside the buildings targeted, the responding firefighters and other emergency services workers.
“There is absolutely no just cause for this violence and fire and rescue services serving the cities and towns affected stand with the other emergency services who have been attacked as they work to keep communities safe.
“Fire and rescue services will continue to work with our emergency service partners to protect local communities and we call for an immediate end to this violence which has no place in our society.”
Visiting the scene of the disorder in Rotherham, Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire mayor said: “Like every decent person from this community, from my community, from South Yorkshire, from across the country, I’m horrified. I’m appalled by the violence that we saw yesterday.
“We saw a violent far-Right mob come down to attack 240 of the most vulnerable people in our society and try and burn them in the hotel in which they were living.
“That is not OK and there is no excuse for it.”
Mr Coppard said: “The far Right have always said to those people with little that they need to attack people with even less.
“And, that’s what we saw here yesterday: we saw 240 vulnerable people, who came here because in their own homes they have been persecuted.
“They came to our country because we are a tolerant and diverse place and they faced those similar attacks that they might have faced at home here in South Yorkshire.”
Visiting the scene of the disorder in Rotherham, John Healey, the Defence Secretary, praised the “massive turn out of local people” to help with the clean-up operation.
He said: “The local community is weighing-in now, we’ve seen hundreds of people down here to help clear up.
“We’ll talk to the residents about the damage they have suffered and the trauma they have suffered.”
He said: “My thoughts today are with those police officers who have been injured.”
Mr Healey said: “The police did a really tough job in tough circumstances. I’ve got nothing but praise for the police officers on the ground.”
He said: “This was on a scale that we’ve not seen before locally. There was no excuse for this. There will be action taken. There will be a reckoning.”
The violent disorder we are witnessing on our streets is unacceptable. As Home Secretary I brought forward much stronger protections against disproportionate protest and disorder. The Government must act again and now. Parliament and the public need reassurances that the… pic.twitter.com/qJ24INtCo7
Sir Keir Starmer should recall Parliament, Nigel Farage has demanded as he accused him of a “faltering approach” towards the riots currently sweeping Britain.
The Reform UK leader said the return of MPs to the House of Commons would provide the opportunity for a “more honest debate” about mass migration and its impact on communities.
In a sixth day of violence on Sunday following the Southport killings, a hotel used to house asylum seekers was set ablaze while far-Right rioters clashed with Muslim protesters.
Read the full story here.
Footage shows rioters set fire to a hotel in Tamworth.
James Cleverly said politicians must be “careful” in how they respond to the riots, after Nigel Farage, the Reform UK MP, was criticised for posts he made on X, formerly Twitter, following the Southport stabbings.
Asked if Mr Farage was “stirring”, the shadow home secretary told LBC radio: “I think all politicians have got to be thoughtful about the language that they use.
“I’m not going to single out any individuals, but I’m saying that, particularly when arson is happening, lives genuinely at risk, we all have to be very careful.
“Our job – particularly if you’re elected – your job is not to get clicks and likes on social media, your job is not about monetising your content. Your job is to act professionally, speak thoughtfully and honestly, and try and make sure we help the Government restore peace and order to our streets.”
Responding to calls for Parliament to be recalled, Mr Cleverly said: “There’s nothing that Parliament needs to vote on.”
Calls to make Islamophobia a specific crime in the wake of riots threaten free speech, MPs have warned.
There is no single agreed definition of anti-Muslim hatred but Labour has previously signalled its support for one.
Left-wing Labour MPs and Muslim groups have urged Sir Keir Starmer to take a stronger stance on Islamophobia after a far-Right mob attacked a mob in Southport last week.
But opposition backbenchers warned any new legislation would only serve to stifle criticism of religion and freedom of expression.
What do you think? 
Adml Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff, arriving at Downing Street, in central London, where Sir Keir Starmer is chairing a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee following ongoing unrest across parts of the country. 
Residents joined council workers to clear up around the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Manvers, near Rotherham in South Yorkshire, on Monday morning.
Police officers stood guard outside the main entrance and at other locations around the building as teams swept up glass from the numerous broken windows at the front of the hotel.
The fire door where rioters appeared to have got into the four-storey building was boarded up, with the melted remains of a bin in front of them.
Further damage was visible around the rear of the property where fences were ripped down, doors kicked in and more windows smashed.
The Government is not recalling Parliament “right now”, Yvette Cooper has said.
Asked whether MPs will be recalled, the Home Secretary told LBC radio: “That’s not what we’re doing right now. What we’re doing right now is keeping in close contact with MPs.”
Dame Priti Patel said she would not feel safe in some of the areas that have seen violent unrest, adding that the racism on display was no different from that of the 1970s and 1980s.
The former home secretary told Times Radio: “I would not feel safe in some of the areas and communities where we’ve seen racism and thuggery on our streets.
“The second point I’d like to make is I grew up with people using the P-word against me.
“And I think some of the individuals that are now involved in this violence, disorder and racism that we are seeing in parts of the country – that’s no different to the type of racism that I experienced when I was growing up, and I just think that there’s no place for that in our amazing country.”
Claims that there is “two-tier policing” in Britain, with Right-wing protests are handled more harshly than Left-wing ones, are “not correct”, Dame Priti Patel has said.
The former home secretary told Times Radio: “There is a clear difference between effectively blocking streets or roads being closed, to burning down libraries, hotels, food banks and attacking places of worships.
“What we have seen is thuggery, violence, racism.”
She added: “Those kinds of comments are simply not relevant right now. That is not correct, it is not correct.”
The Home Secretary has defended courts not yet being open for 24 hours to fast-track sentencing for rioters, insisting the first prosecutions will take place this week.
Ministers were in talks on Saturday with senior members of the judiciary about emergency measures following clashes in major cities that left police injured.
Asked why 24-hour courts were not yet in operation, Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We have made sure the courts are on standby, we have made sure there are additional prosecutors in place this weekend and hundreds of arrests have already taken place.
“So we do expect swift justice to take place, we do expect those cases to be reaching court this week. We know there are also people who are now held in custody awaiting trial, that is one of the issues we will be discussing at Cobra this morning is to make sure that the criminal justice system is ready to deal with this.”
Pressed on why courts were only on standby, she added: “At the moment the arrests are taking place, the prosecutions then need to follow and then the courts are ready to respond. So we will need to make sure there is sufficient court capacity to deal with the cases that come through.
“But as of this weekend as you’ll know the police have been making arrests, but they will also continue to make arrests and therefore they will put forward prosecutions this week, that is what we expect to happen.”
Politicians need to make sure they are “fully informed” before commenting on issues on social media, Dame Priti Patel has said, but she stopped short of directly criticising Nigel Farage for his comments about the Southport stabbings.
The former home secretary told Times Radio: “As we’ve seen, and as BJ Harrington, the Chief Constable of Essex, the national police lead for public order, has said very clearly, a lot of what we have seen is down to misinformation and social media.
“It is irresponsible to just look at what we see on X or other social media platforms and then effectively say ‘Oh, it’s all down to, you know, comments like this that have been put out on social media, that’s got the full facts’ – it does not.
“We have to, as elected politicians, always be careful, number one in the language that we use but ensure that we are as fully informed as we can possibly be before commenting on the situation.”
Asked directly whether Mr Farage was wrong to suggest the facts about Southport were being withheld from the public, Dame Priti said his comments were “a matter for him”.
Rioters taking part in violent demonstrations across the UK “are not patriots standing up for their communities”, Yvette Cooper has said.
Disorder that has spread on Britain’s streets since the killing of three young girls in Southport entered its sixth day yesterday.
Writing in The Times, the Home Secretary, said: “These are not patriots standing up for their communities. They are thugs, criminals and extremists who betray the very values our country is built on.”
She added: “Make no mistake, there will be a reckoning for the individuals who took part in this violence, those who whipped them up on social media and in online chat forums and those who have felt emboldened by this moment to stir up racial hatred.” 
More than 420 people have been arrested since riots erupted last week with disinformation on social media fuelling the unrest. 
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer yesterday warned rioters would regret taking part as the Prime Minister vowed to do “whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice as quickly as possible.”
Downing Street is expected to hold a Cobra emergency response meeting on Monday to discuss the Government’s response in the coming days.
Over the weekend, demonstrations took place in Rotherham, Tamworth, Bolton and Middlesbrough with clashes breaking out between far-Right and Muslim counter-protestors. 
Parliament should be recalled to deal with the outbreak of rioting in the UK, Dame Priti Patel has said.
The former home secretary told Times Radio: “What we are seeing across the country right now is just extraordinary criminality.
“At the end of the day, crime and criminality is the responsibility of those who are perpetrating this and we now need to, in my view, as politicians, get some kind of grip of this, which is why I am calling for the recall of Parliament right now so that we can actually discuss these issues in a similar way… 
“Back in 2011 those discussions took place and actually we put our arm around the communities that were affected at the time. And I think that’s really what we should be doing right now.”
Social media giants must take responsibility for putting “rocket boosters” under riots, according to the Home Secretary.
Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 5 Live: “What is criminal offline is also criminal online so some of the things we have seen online are also illegal and we will expect the police to be pursuing the online criminality as well as the offline criminality.
“But look, social media companies also need to take some responsibility for this. Social media has put rocket boosters under some of the not just misinformation but the encouragement of violence.
“That is a total disgrace and we cannot carry on like this. So we will also be pursuing this with social media companies.”
There is no excuse for the “thuggery” and “disgraceful criminal behaviour” taking place across England, Yvette Cooper has said.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the Home Secretary said: “We saw disgraceful scenes of criminal violence and thuggery in some of our towns and cities.
“There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour, throwing bricks at police officers, the targeting of mosques, the looting of shops.
“It was total disgraceful criminal behaviour, and we should be clear, there will be a reckoning those criminals will pay the price. There have already been hundreds of arrests.”
She added: “Social media companies need to take some responsibility, we also need to make sure that criminal activity online is being pursued, and I think it’s really important that none of us forget this minority of thugs do not speak for Britain.”
Police investigating reports of violence and disorder on the streets of Belfast on Saturday have charged four men.
Sporadic violence developed across the city centre and further disorder was reported in the Sandy Row area.
A 53-year-old has been charged with resisting police, three counts of assault on police and disorderly behaviour.
Meanwhile, a 46-year-old man has been charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting police.
A 38-year-old has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, possession of fireworks without a licence, and riotous behaviour. He also faces the charge of disorderly behaviour.
A 34-year-old has been charged with taking part in an unnotified public procession.
The four men are due to appear before Belfast magistrates’ court on Monday.
 
Yvette Cooper said there would be a “reckoning” following unrest across England, as she pledged that anyone involved in the riots would “pay the price”.
The Home Secretary told Sky News: “It’s a total disgrace and there has to be a reckoning. Those individuals who are involved in the disorder need to know that they will pay a price.”
She added: “I’ve made clear to the police they have my full support in going after the full range of offenders, from those who turned up at the last minute and joined in the looting, to some of the most serious offenders who were pursuing really dangerous arson, really dangerous damage and criminal violence, because we simply cannot stand for this.
“So we should be clear, there will be people who were thinking they were going on their summer holidays this week, and instead they will face a knock on the door from the police.
“They will face arrest and… a police cell, while they wait for trial in order to make sure that they do pay the price for what they have done.”
Violent clashes broke out between far-Right rioters and Muslim counter-protesters on Sunday in a sixth day of unrest on Britain’s streets.
The disorder that has spread since the Southport killings showed no sign of abating over the weekend amid escalating community tensions.
In Rotherham, a hotel used to house asylum seekers was set ablaze, and another in Tamworth was targeted by anti-immigration protesters.
In Bolton, Muslim groups shouting “Allahu Akbar” clashed with far-Right rioters.
Read the full story here.
James Cleverly said the Government “should have been quicker” in its response to riots taking place across England.
The shadow home secretary said he would have called a Cobra meeting “much earlier” and said the Government should be “more agile, more decisive”.
He told Sky News: “These are the actions of people who are clearly responding to disinformation online, but are obviously motivated by racism. We’ve seen people with swastika tattoos and giving the Nazi salute, attacking people that have had no link at all with the terrible instance that we saw in Southport last week.
“And it is absolutely right that the Government is saying that they will take firm action – they should and could have been quicker. I think it’s worrying that it’s only today that Cobra is going to meet. It was only yesterday afternoon that we found out the Prime Minister was going to cancel his holiday.”
Officers marshal the scene after rioters threw three petrol bombs at a Holiday Inn Express hotel in Tamworth on Sunday. 
More than 150 people were arrested following violent disorder in UK towns and cities over the weekend.
Downing Street is expected to hold a Cobra emergency response meeting on Monday after “thugs” tried to storm hotels housing asylum seekers on the sixth day of escalating disorder.
Sir Keir Starmer vowed rioters would “regret” engaging in “far-right thuggery” and promised those involved in unrest would “face the full force of the law” as he addressed the nation on Sunday.
Monday’s meeting is due to involve relevant ministers and police representatives who will discuss the response in the coming days to ensure there is no repeat of the violent scenes.
The Home Office announced on Sunday that mosques would be offered greater protection under a new “rapid response process” designed to quickly tackle the threat of further attacks on places of worship.
Police in Middlesbrough have arrested 35 people during the violent disorder which has taken place today in the town.  
Officers remain in the area dealing with some disorder, however the large numbers of violent crowds have now mostly dispersed.
Today’s events have resulted in significant damage to the Crown Court, the University and a number of properties in the Parliament Road area.
Cleveland Police has now arrested 55 people linked to violent disorder in Teesside. In addition to the 35 arrests in Middlesbrough so far today, the number of those arrested in connection with the disorder in Hartlepool last Wednesday now stands at 20.
David Felton, Assistant Chief Constable said: “The level of violence we have seen today is staggering. We know the shocking scenes across Middlesbrough today will have caused alarm amongst communities.
“I want to reassure the people of Teesside that we will continue to identify those involved in these acts of violence and arrest them and put them before the courts.”