Keir Starmer vowed rioters would “regret” engaging in “far-right thuggery” after a sixth day of escalating violence in England as the government announced emergency security for mosques amid the threat of further disorder.
In a televised address to the nation, the prime minister condemned an attack on a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham and promised those involved in unrest would “face the full force of the law”.
Speaking from Downing Street, Mr Starmer suggested that rioters taking to the streets, and those “whipping up this action online and then running away themselves”, would face consequences.
Meanwhile, the Home Office announced mosques would be offered greater protection under a new “rapid response process” designed to quickly tackle the threat of further attacks on places of worship.
“People in this country have a right to be safe, and yet we’ve seen Muslim communities targeted, attacks on mosques,” the prime minister said on Sunday.
“Other minority communities singled out, Nazi salutes in the street, attacks on the police, wanton violence alongside racist rhetoric, so no, I won’t shy away from calling it what it is: far-right thuggery.”
Mr Starmer indicated the response to the violence could mirror elements of how the 2011 riots were handled, at which time he was director of public prosecutions.
“We do have standing arrangements for law enforcement which means that we can get arrests, charge remanded in custody and convictions done very quickly,” he said.
“I myself was part of that in 2011 when I was director of public prosecutions, and I’m determined we will do whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice as quickly as possible.”
Ministers have suggested that courts could sit 24 hours to fast-track prosecutions – as they did in 2011 – while police forces have measures in place to draft in extra officers to tackle potential unrest.
It comes as anti-immigration rioters attacked police and smashed the windows of a hotel in Rotherham as the atmosphere turned increasingly febrile on the sixth day of unrest in England.
Masked men launched lengths of wood and sprayed fire extinguishers at officers outside a Holiday Inn Express, with some storming past a police line and into the ground floor, which was set on fire during the disorder.
A police helicopter circled overhead, and at least one injured officer in riot gear was carried away.
Meanwhile, a group of rioters in Middlesbrough smashed the windows of houses and cars and hurled objects at officers on Sunday afternoon, with one seen shouting a racial slur and another telling police: “It’s our f**king country.”
It follows similar scenes of unrest in Southport, Belfast, Hartlepool, Hull, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Sunderland and elsewhere earlier in the week.
Cleveland Police has said nine arrests have been made so far.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said the deliberate torching of a hotel where people were known to be inside was “utterly appalling” and South Yorkshire Police have government backing to take “the strongest action”.
The Home Office on Sunday offered mosques greater protections as part of a new process, under which it said “rapid security” deployment can be requested in order to allow a return to worship as fast as possible.
Violence has broken out in parts of England and Northern Ireland following the killing of three young girls in Southport on Monday, with 147 arrests made since Saturday alone.
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Axel Rudakubana (17) is accused of the attack, but false claims spread online that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had travelled to the UK by boat.
The far right have been widely condemned as the organising force behind the subsequent unrest, which has seen bricks pelted at police officers, community facilities including a library set on fire, mosques attacked and shops looted.
Ms Cooper said: “Britain is a proud and tolerant country, and nobody should make any excuses for the shameful actions of the hooligans, thugs and extremist groups who have been attacking police officers, looting local shops or attacking people based on the colour of their skin.
“In light of the disgraceful threats and attacks that local mosques have also faced in many communities, the government is providing rapid additional support through the protective security for mosques scheme, alongside the support from local police forces and we repeat that anyone involved in this disorder and violence will face the full force of the law.
“As a nation we will not tolerate criminal behaviour, dangerous extremism, and racist attacks that go against everything our country stands for.”
Mr Starmer said he wanted those who “feel targeted because of the colour of their skin” to know “this violent mob do not represent our country”.
Forces are bracing for further unrest, with Greater Manchester Police issuing an order in Bolton requiring people to “remove face coverings used to disguise or conceal their appearance” which will stay in force until 10pm.
The widespread unrest poses the biggest challenge yet to Mr Starmer’s premiership, with MPs including Ian Byrne and Dame Priti Patel saying parliament should be recalled as it was in 2011 so the Commons could debate the riots.
Ministers have so far insisted police have the resources they need to respond and insisted that despite plans to release some offenders from prison early, there is capacity to hand custodial sentences to violent rioters.
But the Police Federation for England and Wales has voiced concerns that officers will be left unable to attend other incidents as they focus efforts on quelling the disorder, warning “there is a cost to all this”.
Deputy chairman of the federation Brian Booth said: “Every day this continues means a certain amount of officer hours are being taken away from other policing duties. It has a massive effect on already significant under-resourcing.”
Conservative leader Rishi Sunak said the scenes had “nothing to do with the tragedy in Southport” and warned that “violent, criminal behaviour has no place in our society”. – PA