Southport stabbings latest: MP condemns 'beered-up thugs' of disrespecting grieving town after 39 police officers are injured in riots which erupted during vigil for three girls killed in knife attack

3 months ago 17

By Jamie Bullen

Published: 08:41 BST, 31 July 2024 | Updated: 09:53 BST, 31 July 2024

Rioters who brought violence to Southport during a vigil for three girls killed in a knife rampage have been accused by an MP of 'disrespecting' the victims' families and the town.

Patrick Hurley, the Labour representative for Southport, said 'beered-up thugs' must face the full force of the law as 39 police officers were injured during disorder on Merseyside.

Mr Hurley today accused violent perpetrators of 'utterly disrespecting' the families of the dead and injured children at a time when the community grieves the deaths of Bebe King, six, Elsie Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Aguiar.

Follow our live coverage below

Housing minister - 'Sickening' to see violence overshadow grief

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has said riots in Southport were 'sickening' and added those responsible will face the full force of the law.

He told Times Radio:

The people of Southport are obviously reeling from the horror that has been afflicted upon them two days ago.

They’re doing their best, from what I can see, to pull together, to support each other and to care for the families that have lost loved ones, and to have the space they need to process that unspeakable tragedy and to grieve, overshadowed by the violence and disorder we’ve seen is sickening.

As is the fact that the local police, who should be focused on the urgent criminal investigation into the attack that took place, having been at the receiving end of that abuse and violence.

Richard McCarthy/PA Wire

Farage hits back at claims he 'whipped up' rioters

Nigel Farage has shot back at comments made by Brendan Cox insisting it's 'perfectly reasonable' to question what is happening to law and order in the country.

The husband of murdered MP Jo Cox told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the Reform UK leader 'whipped up' rioters in Southport in a social media video.

Mr Farage told the PA news agency:

Absolutely disgraceful comment, nothing of the kind.

I merely expressed a sense of sadness and concern that is being felt by absolutely everybody I know – what the hell is going on?

It started off the week before in Kent, when a Lieutenant Colonel in full military uniform is stabbed in the street and I was told that Kent Police wanted to play the incident down. I got that on the highest level.

Here is Mr Farage's video he posted in response to the Southport knife attack:

Mosque targeted during 'frightening' night of violence

The window of a Mosque is damaged in Southport on 31 July, 2024, near Liverpool. Riot police clashed with far right protesters last night outside a Mosque near where 3 young kids died. (Photo by Ioannis Alexopoulos/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A Southport mosque was targeted during last night's riot as protesters gathered outside and pelted the place of worship with bricks despite the suspect having no known links to Islam.

Ibrahim Hussain, the chairman of the Southport Mosque, said it was a 'frightening' evening as windows were smashed and fences were burnt while a police van was torched nearby.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Hussain said:

We have absolutely nothing to do with all this. We lived happily for about 30 years with the local community.

He added he has received 'beautiful messages of support' from neighbours following the trouble.

Jo Cox's husband attacks Nigel Farage after Southport remarks

Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, has today described Nigel Farage as 'nothing better than Tommy Robinson in a suit' after the Reform UK leader's remarks about the Southport stabbings.

In a social media video, Mr Farage said the scenes of Sir Keir Starmer being heckled as he lay flowers at the police cordon on Tuesday showed the level of unhappiness in the country with the 'state of law and order'.

Mr Farage said:

The police say it’s a non-terror incident, just as they said the stabbing of an Army Lieutenant Colonel in uniform on the streets of Kent the other day was a non-terror incident.

I just wonder whether the truth is being withheld from us. I don’t know the answer to that, but I think it is a fair and legitimate question.

Reacting to the comments, Mr Cox told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

It’s right out of the Trump playbook, and in my view it makes Nigel Farage nothing better than a Tommy Robinson in a suit.

It is beyond the pale to use a moment like this to spread your narrative and to spread your hatred, and we saw the results on Southport’s streets last night.

Watch: Southport rioter struck by bricks thrown from fellow protesters

This is the moment a Southport rioter wheeled away in agony after he was struck in the head with a brick by fellow protesters - before being hit again in the crotch as he tried to escape.

The protester, wearing a grey tracksuit, was filmed flamboyantly striding up to an army of police officers holding riot shields before putting his hands on his hips and posing.

But as he tried to goad the officers, he was nearly sent tumbling to the floor as a giant brick smashed into his face and the back of his head at the same time.

One flying brick rebounded off a riot shield into his face, while another connected with the back of his head.

As he tried to walk away rubbing the back of his head, he was then hit with a third brick in the crotch. Shouts of 'f***ing hell boys' were heard as two other rioters tried to help him out of the crowd.

Local landscaper offers free help to repair damaged walls

by Iwan Stone

Max Henshaw Jr, who runs a landscaping firm and lives right next to where the riots were taking place, offered his company's help for free repairing garden walls that had been damaged during the riots.

The 36-year-old said that the mood of those clearing away the rubble was mournful - but it was in the spirit of the town to pull together.

He told MailOnline:

It's a small community - it's important that everyone pulls together. I'm happy to help do what we can just to make a little small difference. That's all you can do.

It's just the community pulling together, but no one's smiling, no one's really thanking each other. It's just what the Southport people have got to get out there and do, haven't they?

I live around the corner from the riots. Everyone in Southport knows each other. There was a lot from out of town, tou know, there was different accents from all over.

Of course people from Southport aren't gonna smash their own town up, are they? You've got to dust yourself, keep going, otherwise everyone's going to live in fear. And that's not what everyone wants.

'None of those hooligans were from Southport'

Volunteers who have cleared up Southport streets after a night of rioting have declared none of the hooligans actually live in the town

Dozens of local residents turned up outside Southport mosque with brushes and shovels to help with the clean-up operation on Wednesday morning.

Norman Wallis, chief executive of Southport Pleasureland, who was helping at the junction of Sussex Road and St Luke’s Road, said it was partly in response to a social media plea he put out after witnessing the violence on Tuesday evening.

Mr Wallis said:

There are hundreds of people who have responded, and we’ve ended up with lots of people down here today, all from the local community and helping with the fantastic clean-up.”

It’s horrendous what those hooligans have done last night. It was like a war scene. People from out of town just causing absolute mayhem.

People in hoods climbing up lampposts, throwing bricks, they set a police car on fire.

But none of those people were the people of Southport. The people of Southport are the ones here today cleaning the mess up.

Pictures: Clean-up operation under way after Southport riot

Volunteers have been busy this morning clearing the streets hours as residents in Southport woke up to violence on their doorstep.

Many were seen sweeping the roads and filling up wheelbarrow as they cleaned up litter and bricks left by rioters.

Here are some pictures from the operation earlier this morning:

James Speakman/PA Wire

Police believe rioters were EDL members

Richard McCarthy/PA Wire

Merseyside Police believe members of the English Defence League were at the centre of the riots in Southport, according to the force's Police and Crime Commissioner.

Emily Spurrell told ITV’s Good Morning Britain it is not believed locals orchestrated the violence which resulted in injuries to dozens of police officers.

She said:

(Merseyside Police) will be reviewing the footage of exactly who was there last night, they have been monitoring the online activity as well, trying to understand who was doing what.

They have said that they believe it was members of the English Defence League (EDL), they don’t believe it was individuals from the local area.

There is a strong feeling that there are individuals like the EDL, who have been using this incredibly tragic event to whip up hatred, incite violence, and that’s the result of what we saw last night.

Merseyside Police Federation - More than 50 officers had broken bones, cuts and concussion

Photograph by Peter Powell. 30 July 2024.Police stand in riot gear next to the mosque on St Lukes road, Southport. (Red brick building on the Right)

It has been reported that 39 police officers were injured during disturbances in Southport but the Merseyside Police Federation said more than 50 were hurt.

Chairman Chris McGlade said:

Merseyside is reeling from an unimaginable tragedy. An incident that has left us all shocked as human beings. We are equally shocked as police officers.

The very same courageous officers who are themselves trying to come to terms with what has happened in Southport this week came under a sustained and vicious attack last night.

It is utterly disgusting that more than 50 police officers were injured. Brave colleagues have been left with fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion. I utterly condemn the actions of these mindless and violent thugs – and they will be brought to justice for their actions.

The federation are supporting our injured colleagues at this horrific time and send them our best wishes – as I know the rest of the country will do.

Police officers are not robots. We are mothers and fathers. Sons and daughters. Husbands, wives and partners.

We should be going home at the end of our shifts. Not to hospital.

Pictures: 39 police officers injured in riots

If you're just joining us this morning, we are providing live updates following riots on the streets of Southport during a vigil to remember three girls killed in a knife rampage on Monday.

Thirty-nine police officers were injured during the disorder in which bricks were pelted at a mosque and a police van was torched.

Here are some pictures from the violence last night:

Mother of girl stabbed to death calls for end to Southport violence

by Iwan Stone, Arthur Parashar, James Fielding, James Tozer and Richard Marsden

The mother of a little girl, seven, murdered in the Southport knife rampage has called for the violence to end after a night of rioting left 39 police officers injured.

Elsie Dot Stancombe was killed alongside six-year-old Bebe King and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar in a horrific knife rampage on Monday at a Taylor Swift-themed summer holiday dance workshop.

And following a peaceful vigil last night where thousands of mourners had gathered to remember the victims who lost their lives, violent thugs were accused of showing 'no respect to a town that's grieving'.

Crowds of yobs - many of whom are thought to have come from outside Southport - torched a police van and left 39 officers and three dogs injured, including 27 who needed treatment in hospital.

But as the community rallied together against the violence, Jenni Stancombe, the mother of little Elsie, pleaded for the violence to end on social media.

Southport MP - 'Beered-up thugs' must face full force of the law

Southport MP Patrick Hurley has said last night's rioters must face the 'full force of the law' after travelling to the town intent on causing violence.

Mr Hurley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

These were thugs who got the train in, these were not the people from Southport.

They were using the horrific incident on Monday, the deaths of three little kiddies, for their own political purposes and actually to attack the very same first responders and the very same police, who had been on the scene on Monday, were then being pelted with bricks the day after by these thugs.

There’s no way to describe that other than to say it’s utterly reprehensible and we must identify these people and make sure that the full force of the law is down against them.

He went on:

These people are utterly disrespecting the families of the dead and injured children and utterly disrespecting the town.

Good morning

Hello and welcome to MailOnline's live coverage following a night of violence in Southport.

Thirty-nine police officers were injured when riots broke out in the Merseyside town during a vigil for three girls killed in a knife rampage on Monday.

Southport MP Patrick Hurley has today condemned 'beered-up thugs' for fuelling the trouble as he accused perpetrators of 'utterly disrespecting' the families of the injured and dead children.

We will bring you the latest news and reaction from Southport throughout the day

Key Updates

Police believe rioters were EDL members
Merseyside Police Federation - More than 50 officers had broken bones, cuts and concussion
Southport MP - 'Beered-up thugs' must face full force of the law

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