Police officers have been injured during “sustained violence” in Plymouth as rioting continued for a seventh day after the Southport stabbings with more than 370 arrests made so far.
Police said six arrests were made in Plymouth on Monday after “several officers” suffered minor injuries and two members of the public were taken to hospital.
It came after bricks and fireworks were launched towards officers who had attempted to keep rival groups apart in the Devon port city.
In Southport, hundreds of people attended a peaceful vigil a week on from the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar. Children blew bubbles and others left flowers and heart-shaped balloons on Monday evening in remembrance of the victims of the stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.
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Merseyside Police have since said one child caught up in the incident remained in hospital but all other patients had been discharged.
In Plymouth, a police van was damaged on Monday evening as masked anti-immigration rioters launched missiles at a demonstration where people held signs saying “No Place for Hate” and “Say No to Nazis”.
A Devon and Cornwall Police officer said “large masonry” had been thrown at officers during the unrest.
Speaking at the scene, Inspector Ryan North Moore told Sky News: “This is not a protest any more. In my opinion, this is violence. This is sustained violence.” Asked how difficult it was to police the situation, he added: “It’s off the scale today. With the resources we’ve got, it’s difficult.”
Some 150 officers were deployed in the city centre, and the arrests were for a range of public order offences and assaults, police said.
The PSNI said it was “dealing with ongoing disorder” in the Donegall Road area of south Belfast, with the BBC reporting riot officers had stones and petrol bombs thrown at them.
Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said perpetrators of violence “will face the consequences no matter who they are”.
On Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said a “standing army” of specialist police officers was being assembled to crack down on rioting, as he called for perpetrators to be named and shamed.
Mr Starmer vowed to “ramp up criminal justice” after an emergency Cobra meeting was called following disorder over the weekend that saw rioters storm hotels housing asylum seekers.
However, Mr Starmer rejected calls for parliament to be recalled in the face of the rioting. He said he was focused on ensuring police can carry out their duties, as MPs from across the political spectrum demanded parliament return from its summer recess.
Downing Street also criticised X owner Elon Musk for claiming “civil war is inevitable” in the UK, with officials suggesting online misinformation fuelling disorder on Britain’s streets may be being amplified by foreign state actors.
There have been at least 378 arrests since the violence broke out last week, with police chiefs warning the total is expected to rise each day.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the courts were on “standby” to ensure “swift justice”. Although several cases were already in motion, questions were being raised about how quickly this would happen in reality as it emerged some suspects will not face court for weeks.
Defendants were brought before magistrates in Belfast, Sheffield, Liverpool and South Tyneside in the latest wave of court appearances. – PA