Rioters have set fire to a car and wheelie bins in Middlesbrough and groups in Rotherham smashed their way into and set fire to a hotel reportedly being used to accommodate asylum seekers.
Demonstrations are also taking place in Bolton, Lancaster, Sheffield, Aldershot and Weymouth, following shocking scenes yesterday in cities and towns across the UK which resulted in at least 90 arrests, several police officers being injured, and widespread looting.
South Yorkshire Police said at least ten officers had been injured as a result of the violence in Rotherham on Sunday, with one left unconscious following a head injury, another suffering a suspected fractured elbow and other suffering suspected broken bones.
Yesterday saw 20 arrests by Humberside Police, 10 in Stoke, 20 in Lancashire and 14 in Bristol. Merseyside Police arrested 23 people, with riot officers deployed in County Road, where marauding youths set fire to bins and blocked the street in the early hours.
Chief Constable BJ Harrington, who speaks on public order for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “We know people will try and do this again and policing has been and will continue to be ready. There are 130 extra units in place across the country, meaning almost 4,000 extra public order-trained officers to deploy.
“So if you’re planning to cause trouble and disorder our message is very simple – we’ll be watching you.”
Speaking on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed rioters would “regret” engaging in “far-right thuggery”.
In a televised address to the nation, the Prime Minister condemned the attack on a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham and promised those involved in unrest would “face the full force of the law”.
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