Afternoon summary
- Four people have been arrested in connection with the violent protests that broke out last night in Southport following a vigil for the victims of Monday’s knife attack, police said. Of the 53 police officers injured, 49 were said to be Merseyside police officers and four were from Lancashire constabulary.
- Merseyside police said eight officers sustained serious injuries including fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion and were treated in hospital.
- Local residents said rioters attacked a mosque and used bricks as missiles last night. Many helped with the clean-up operation this morning to repair the damage caused by the disorder.
- Southport’s MP, Patrick Hurley, said the violent rioters were not local to the area and must face the “full force of the law”. He said the riots occurred because of the “propaganda and lies” spread on social media about the identity of the attacker. “These people are utterly disrespecting the families of the dead and injured children and utterly disrespecting the town,” the MP told the BBC.
- Police believe those involved in the violent unrest included supporters of the English Defence League (EDL).
- Humza Yousaf, the former first minister of Scotland, called for the EDL to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation after the riots.
- Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were all fatally stabbed in Southport on Monday. Jenni Stancombe, Elsie’s mother, wrote on Facebook: “This is the only thing that I will write, but please please stop the violence in Southport tonight. The police have been nothing but heroic these last 24 hours and they and we don’t need this.”
- A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons because of his age, remains in custody accused of murder and attempted murder. The only details released about the suspect by police are that he is a 17-year-old from the village of Banks in Lancashire, who was born in Cardiff.
- Police have said that, although the motive for the attack was unclear, it was not believed to be terror-related. On Wednesday, detectives were granted more time to question the teenager.
There have been four arrests after violence in the town with Merseyside chief constable saying ‘more will follow’
www.theguardian.com