A summary of today's developments
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.
Keir Starmer said a “standing army” of specialist police officers would be set up to deal with rioting and unrest. The PM said: “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 prime minister said, adding that “we will ramp up criminal justice. There have already been hundreds of arrests, some have appeared in court this morning.”
Judges condemned the recent violent scenes as the latest wave of suspects arrested after protests and riots across the country appeared in court. Several suspects have faced charges in court on Monday, after a sixth day of disorder which broke out in the wake of a knife attack in Southport last week which left three girls dead. One judge described scenes of violence in Belfast as “absolutely disgraceful” as he refused bail to two men accused of taking part in disorder which followed an anti-immigration protest in the city on Saturday. In another court, a boy aged 14 admitted violent disorder after he was seen by police officers to be among a group of young people setting fireworks off in the direction of members of the public and a police carrier. Deputy district judge Liam McStay told Belfast magistrates court: “The events at the weekend were absolutely disgraceful: a concerted and deliberate attempt to undermine public order and to then domineer the community and there were racist elements to it.”
Superintendent Russ Dawe, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said “several” officers have been injured following disorder in Plymouth city centre. Some 150 officers were deployed to de-escalate the situation. Six people were arrested. A police van was also damaged.
A spokesman for Merseyside Police said one child remained in hospital a week on from the Southport attack and all other patients had been discharged. Three girls, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Bebe King died, after the attack last Monday at a dance class. Eight other children and two adults were also injured.
Ministers are preparing an additional 500 prison places to cope with an influx of people expected to be held on remand over the next month, the Ministry of Justice said.
Downing Street criticised comments by Elon Musk who posted on X that “civil war is inevitable” under a video of violent riots in Liverpool. Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said the violence came from a small minority of people who “do not speak for Britain” and said the prime minister did not share the sentiments of the billionaire, who has previously been criticised for allowing far-right figures back on to his social media platform.
The worst of the far-right violence seen in England this weekend should be treated as terrorism, former police chief Neil Basu said, amid warnings over a new wave of unrest targeting migration lawyers.
Updated
The safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said perpetrators of violence in Birmingham “will face the consequences no matter who they are”.
The Home Office minister, who is the MP for Birmingham Yardley, wrote on X: “The police have attended all sites of violence tonight and all those perpetrating it will face the consequences no matter who they are.
“Thanks to all residents who have acted with grace and kindness and have kept people informed so actions could be taken.”
