UK riots live: Police braced for 20 'gatherings' tonight after suspects' homes raided

Those “intent on violence and destruction have not gone away”, a police chief has warned after fewer events than planned materialised on Wednesday.

Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said that although there was a “turning point” on Wednesday night, “we are very focused on the weekend”.

A senior judge has slammed the “twisted ideology” behind racist mobs of rioters who were egged on by “complete nonsense” being spread online about the murders of three young girls at a dance class in Southport.

Judge Andrew Menary KC, the Recorder of Liverpool, has now jailed five men who joined “baying mobs” in Southport and Liverpool during widespread disorder over the last week.

Read the full story from the Evening Standard.

A teenager who stood on top of a burning car during riots in Sunderland has pleaded guilty to violent disorder, police said.

Riley Adey, 19, of Heworth Crescent, was arrested after Northumbria Police executed arrest warrants at homes in Washington on Wednesday, following intelligence which included footage of Adey during the disorder.

Adey and Reece Greenwood, 31, of The Gardens, appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside on Thursday.

They both pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder and have been remanded in custody until their sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday.

Sir Keir Starmer said Wednesday night’s events turned out “much better than was expected”, after many planned anti-immigration protests failed to materialise.

Asked whether he should engage with the underlying tensions over the issue of immigration, the Prime Minister said: “The first priority is safety and security of our communities, and yes, last night was much better than was expected, but we are not going to give up on our efforts here.

“That’s why it’s very important that I continue my discussions, co-ordinating with law enforcement, with police leaders, to make sure we’ve got the right officers in the right place, to keep pushing on the criminal justice response.

“I was very keen that we were able to demonstrate that if you’re involved in disorder, within days you will be in the criminal justice system and some people starting long terms of imprisonment.

“That needs to continue, and so that is my sole focus.”

Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, said: “By the hour, further charges are being authorised, significant sentences of imprisonment are being passed and justice continues to be served after an extremely difficult period for the country.

“Our prosecutors are continuing to work swiftly and effectively in collaboration with the police.

“I am immensely proud of the way that the criminal justice system has responded so quickly and well, ensuring that the rule of law prevails and that justice is done and seen to be done.”

London mayor Sadiq Khan has said Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick should apologise for his comments that people chanting 'Allahu Akbar' should be jailed.

The prime minister said additional deployments of police officers and the quick sentencing of people involved in disorder were the reasons riots did not materialising on Wednesday night.

He told broadcasters on a visit to Solihull: “Last night, I think the fact we didn’t see the disorder that was feared is because we had police deployed in numbers in the right places, giving reassurance to communities.

“We were able to demonstrate the criminal justice system working speedily, so yesterday we saw the sentencing of individuals who had been involved in disorder days ago, some of them getting sentences as long as three years.

“That sent a very powerful message.

“But I also think that the work that’s been done jointly to reassure our communities is becoming more effective.”

The chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council has admitted to being “nervous” about the counter-protests that took place on Wednesday.

Speaking in a media briefing, Gavin Stephens said: “From a policing point of view, I must admit we were nervous about all of the counter-activity, if you want to call it that, purely because it adds to the scale of what we’re dealing with.

“I think what we saw last night was a loud and clear message from communities that they’d had enough, that there’s no place for hate, that there’s no place for violence.”

Stephens admitted a cost of damage to the communities affected by the disorder over the last nine days was “going to take a long, long time to recover”.

The prime minister will chair another Cobra meeting with law enforcement officials on Thursday afternoon to “reflect on last night” and plan for the coming days.

Sir Keir Starmer will hold the third high-level gathering of its kind in the last week, after threats of further disorder largely failed to materialise on Wednesday evening.

The meeting comes as jail terms have been handed out to some rioters, while others face charges relating to disorder across the country.

Read more from PA.

The total number of arrests made relating to violent disorder following the Southport killings currently stands at more than 480.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has also confirmed 149 charges have been brought so far, a figure expected to “continue to rise significantly”.

Gavin Stephens, chairman of the NPCC, said: “Officers and police staff are working flat out to progress investigations, acting on the mountain of intelligence and evidence gathered over the last week to secure convictions.”

He added: “We must not underestimate the physical and mental impact on officers facing the violent scenes from the past week.

"The criminal justice system is recognising the gravity of these offences to put those responsible behind bars.”

Conservative leadership hopeful Mel Stride has blamed Nigel Farage for “fuelling conspiracy theories” in the wake of the Southport stabbings.

The shadow pensions secretary condemned social media posts by the Reform leader after the killings of three young girls and subsequent riots across the country on 29 July.

Farage speculated in an online video whether the “truth is being withheld” amid rumours falsely identifying the suspect as an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK in a boat last year.

Read more from The Telegraph.

A 31-year-old man has appeared in court accused of being part of group who pushed a burning bin against a hotel housing asylum seekers during large-scale disorder in Rotherham.

Levi Fishlock, of Sheffield Road, Barnsley, denied violent disorder and arson with intent to endanger life when he appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court on Thursday.

A district judge heard he is accused of putting wood into a bin which was already burning and helping to push it against the building. He is also accused of throwing missiles at police.

Fishlock was remanded in custody and will next appear at Sheffield Crown Court on August 20.

A British businesswoman accused of being the first person to share false information about the Southport killings of three girls has said the “mistake” has “destroyed” her.

Bonnie Spofforth is alleged to have fired off a tweet on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, wrongly claiming the stabbing suspect was an asylum seeker who came to the UK by boat hours after the three girls were killed.

The 55-year-old also shared an incorrect name for the boy accused of perpetrating attacks at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport, in which three people died.

Read more from The Independent.

Londoners will continue to see extra police officers on the streets amid fears over further rioting.

Threats against lawyers who have supported migrants “were an attack on our democratic values”, the Law Society of England and Wales has said.

Its president Nick Emmerson said: “We are continuing to support our members and have been contacting the solicitors’ firms and advice agencies on the target list to ensure they are safe following the planned riots yesterday.

“We thank the UK Government and the police for their efforts and support in recent days to keep solicitors and legal advice centres safe. The threats have been incredibly distressing for those targeted.

“We also commend those in the community who came out to peacefully defend their local area and businesses last night.”

He added: “These threats against our legal profession were an attack on our democratic values.

“Now is the time for our country and our leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the rule of law.

“They must ensure that all those who have committed crimes in recent days face swift justice.”

A Labour councillor has been suspended from the party after footage emerged of him online in which he said the throats of rioters should be cut.

Ricky Jones, a Dartford Borough councillor, appeared in a video circulated online saying “we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all” at a counter-demonstration to recent riots.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated. The councillor has been suspended from the party.”

Police chiefs in Northern Ireland have promised to bring the "full force of the law" down on rioters.

Belfast has been rocked by unrest following the Southport stabbings, with 16 arrests so far and more expected.

Speaking at Stormont Castle, Jon Boutcher, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PNSI), compared the disorder to the Troubles.

“I have met the leadership of the Muslim communities, but all our migrant communities, all our diverse communities feel under threat," he said.

"They feel a fear of the like I have not seen in over 40 years of policing.

"That’s not just here, that’s across the country. This has got to stop and we will stop it."

The TV industry must bear some responsibility for the race riots that erupted across the UK, the chair of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) has said.

Violent disorder and unrest spread across the UK this week with thousands of police officers deployed and hundreds of thugs arrested in scenes reminiscent of far-right movements of the 1970s and 80s.

While many commentators have pointed the finger at far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson, or the divisive remarks made by anti-immigration politicians such as Nigel Farage and Priti Patel, RADA chief Marcus Ryder OBE has pointed to a cause even closer to home – the popular culture we consume in our everyday lives.

Read more from The Independent.

Footage shows thousands of people take to the streets for anti-racism protests.

A teenager stole around £4,000 worth of vapes during riots in Liverpool.

The 17-year-old from Walton, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court today, Thursday, 8 August.

The teen was arrested by Merseyside Police on 3 August and charged with using threatening and unlawful violence to cause a person at the scene to fear for his or her presence, and theft. He pleaded guilty to both charges.

He was caught on CCTV smashing the window of a convenience store, S&S News in Liverpool ONE, before stealing the vapes which had a value of around £4,000.

The sentencing was adjourned until 17 September to obtain a pre-sentence report. He was granted bail with conditions not to enter L1, L2 or L3 in the city centre until sentencing. His mum, who attended court this morning, was seen crying as the judge addressed the court.

Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC handed down prison sentences of 32 months each to William Morgan and John O’Malley for their roles in "mob violence" in Liverpool and Southport, respectively.

Addressing O'Malley, who admitted a violent disorder charge related to rioting in Southport the day after the stabbings, Judge Menary said his sentence would be intended to "deter others from similar activity".

He added: "It's an unavoidable factor of mass disorder that each percipient's act is capable of stirring up and encouraging others to behave in a similar way."

Judge Menary said police officers in Southport the day after the stabbings had expected to join a "community in mourning" at a vigil.

Instead, they ended up defending themselves against about 1,000 "so-called protestors" and subjected to "abuse and threats"

Manchester Police said they had arrested seven people overnight in connection with the riots.

The government's policing minister has warned there is intelligence more protests could happen in the next few days after concerns about violence last night did not materialise.

Dame Diana Johnson said: "I am cautious about what happened last night.

"It's good that we didn't see the level of disorder and criminality on our streets that we have in previous days, but obviously this is just the start."

Read more from Sky News.

Riots “will never triumph” in the UK, Sir Ed Davey has said.

Dame Diana Johnson has said social media giants have an “obligation” to deal with criminal offences being committed on their platforms.

The Home Office minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “If there are criminal offences being committed on social media platforms now, then these social media companies have an obligation now to deal with that.

“If they’re having incitement to violence on their platforms, that needs to be dealt with now, today. We don’t need the Online Safety Act to deal with that.”

Pressed on whether Wednesday’s open letter by Ofcom calling on social media platforms to do more to counter hatred online was enough, Dame Diana said: “We fully understand and appreciate the problem we have with social media, and that is going to have a cross government approach.

“It’s certainly being raised in all the meetings that I’ve been party to, so I can assure you that it is being looked at.

“But in the meantime, these social media companies could heed the warning of Ofcom and take some action today. That’s what we’re saying they should do.”

The Metropolitan Police said officers have made 10 more arrests over the violent disorder outside Downing Street on Wednesday 31 July.

This takes the total number arrested to 121.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who joined officers making arrests in Sutton, south London, on Thursday, said he expected charges to be brought within 24 hours.

Sir Mark said: “What I want to make really clear is those we’ve arrested aren’t protesters, patriots or decent citizens. They’re thugs and criminals. Around 70% have previous convictions for weapon possession, violence, drugs and other serious offences. Some have football banning orders. These are violent people taking to the streets under the guise of protest to engage in disorder.

“We’ve been really clear we won’t tolerate hate or intimidation. Ordinary Londoners have a right to live their lives without being in fear. Our message is clear – anyone thinking of causing disorder and disruption will be found and will be brought to justice.

“I expect many if not all of those arrested over the past 24 hours will be charged, will go to court and will spend years in prison.”

People suspected of being involved in the riots continue to be arrested around the UK.

Counter-demonstrations were “on the whole peaceful” and showed that the majority of people in the UK are “tolerant” and “respect the police”, Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson has said.

Asked if she praised Wednesday evening’s counter-demonstrations to far-right protest plans, she told the BBC: “I think this country has a tradition, doesn’t it, of peaceful protests and I think last night was an example of that.

“Now clearly, because of what has happened in previous days, we were very anxious that we didn’t add to the burden on the police by having to police counter-demonstrations and protests, but luckily last night, everything, on the whole, was peaceful, so that’s important.

“But I think what last night illustrated was the vast majority of people in this country are law-abiding, are tolerant, respect the police, want their communities to be ones that are safe for all communities and I think that that was demonstrated last night by some of what we saw on the streets with those people who came forward to make their views clear.

“Because unfortunately in the last few nights, what we’d seen was the very small criminal element, the extremists were out on the streets, engaging in disorder and violence and that’s not what Britain is. That is not what the British people are about.”

Sadiq Khan has paid tribute to police officers and thanked those who demonstrated “peacefully” on Wednesday night to “show London stands united against racism”.

In a statement, the Mayor of London said: “I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding work of our police officers across London last night. And to those who came out peacefully to show London stands united against racism and Islamophobia last night – thank you.

“We have seen appalling violence and disorder in towns and cities across the country in recent days, but there was no repeat in our capital overnight. The Met has worked tirelessly to make it clear that such violence will not be tolerated and that anyone seeking to engage in disorder and sow division would face the full force of the law.

“I remain in close contact with the Met Commissioner and local people will continue to see an increased police presence across areas of London in the coming days as they seek to reassure and protect our communities.

“I’m clear that there is no place for violence, racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism in our city and we will never let those who seek to divide our communities win.

“London is proud of our diversity and of being an open and welcoming city, and always will be.”