Keir Starmer vows Southport rioters will face 'full force of the law'

Keir Starmer indicated a firm stance against the rioters in Southport, emphasising that legal consequences will be strictly enforced.

“Those who rioted will feel the full force of the law,” the UK PM said after police vehicles were set alight and missiles hurled at officers.

On Tuesday night, far-right protesters pelted police with glass bottles and bricks and attacked a mosque following a knife attack that killed three children.

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The prime minister stated that the rioters hijacked the vigil for the victims with violence and thuggery and disrespected the grieving community.

According to Merseyside police, 22 officers had been injured during the night of violence, with eight seriously injured including fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion.

While three police dogs were also injured, two sustained leg injuries from thrown bricks, and a third suffered burns to her back leg.

As officers from five different forces struggled to control the disorder, police implemented a 24-hour Section 60 order, granting officers enhanced stop-and-search powers.

Additionally, a Section 34 dispersal order was introduced, allowing police to seize any items, including vehicles, used in committing anti-social behaviour, and to instruct people to leave the area.

“Offenders have destroyed walls of the garden so they could use the bricks to attack our officers and have set cars belonging to the public on fire, and damaged cars parked in the mosque car park,” said Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss.

Goss also requested that “anyone who has information or video footage of those involved in the riots to come forward so the culprits could be identified and arrested”.

As night fell, smaller groups scattered and roamed the streets, setting fires on the roads. They tore down residents' walls and fences, using the bricks as missiles and adding wooden panels to the fires.

Police from four neighbouring forces were called in as officers struggled to bring the situation under control. Sadly, eight children suffered stab wounds and five were left in critical condition, along with two adults who were also critically injured.

It may be mentioned here, that demonstrators gathered in the area surrounding Hart Street, where Monday’s killings took place. The crowd of hundreds were heard shouting Islamophobic slogans as well as “no surrender”, “English till I die” and “we want our country back” as a police helicopter circled overhead.

Riot police charged at the demonstrators after a police van was set alight and other police vehicles were damaged. Officers used teargas on the angry crowds of predominantly men covering their faces.

(With inputs from agencies)