Police officers injured as violence continues for seventh day

Police officers have been injured during “sustained violence” in Plymouth as disorder continued for a seventh day after the Southport stabbings with more than 370 arrests made so far.

Devon and Cornwall 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 demonstrations apart in the Devon port city.

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 protesters launched missiles at a counter-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 protest, he added: “It’s off the scale today. With the resources we’ve got, it’s difficult.”

Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell said officers had shown “very brave, robust policing” as they responded to “abhorrent, mindless criminal behaviour”.

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 Police Service of Northern Ireland 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.

Sky News reported on Monday that one of its vans was attacked in Birmingham by a “knife-wielding man”.

The news outlet reported its journalists had observed “a large gathering of Muslim men who said they were preparing to ‘defend’ the street from another rumoured far-right protest in the area.

West Midlands Police (WMP) said it was investigating reports of a man who was in possession of an offensive weapon, as well as other incidents and pledged to “work hard to identify and arrest those responsible”.

The force said a large number of people had gathered in the Bordesley area of the city but there were no clashes with members of an opposing group, and despite social media rumours of a far-right protest, it did not take place.

“No arrests have been made at this stage but there were sporadic incidents and we are investigating reports of an assault, incidents of criminal damage to a pub on Stoney Lane, a car which had its windows smashed on Alcombe Grove, Stechford and further criminal damage to a vehicle which had its tyres damaged on Belchers Lane, Bordesley Green,” WMP said.

Chief Superintendent Richard North said: “Fortunately rumours of the significant protest activity in the city didn’t materialise. There were several sporadic incidents of criminality during the evening and we will work hard to arrest those responsible.

“We want to reassure you that anyone participating in any criminality on our streets will be dealt with robustly. You will continue to see an increased police presence on our streets over the coming days to offer reassurance to our communities.”

Safeguarding minister and Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips said perpetrators of violence “will face the consequences no matter who they are”.

On Monday, the Prime Minister 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.

Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “ramp up criminal justice” after an emergency Cobra meeting was called following disorder over the weekend which saw rioters storm hotels housing asylum seekers.

The PA news agency understands the Prime Minister’s so-called standing army is an expansion of the existing mutual aid scheme, which allows officers to be deployed around the country as needed.

Sir Keir rejected calls for Parliament to be recalled in the face of the rioting.

The Prime Minister 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 the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) warning the total is expected to rise each day.

Several suspects faced charges in court on Monday as ministers and police chiefs descended on Westminster for the meeting setting out the response for the coming days in a bid to clamp down on further unrest.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was filmed grabbing a microphone out of a journalist’s hands and throwing it to the ground as he left the emergency meeting.

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.

Staffordshire Police said two people charged over disorder in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday were not due in court for more than a fortnight, and others accused of being involved in unrest in Bristol are not due to face court until September, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Elsewhere, defendants were brought before magistrates in Belfast, Sheffield, Liverpool and South Tyneside in the latest wave of court appearances.

Organisation Tell Mama, which monitors anti-Muslim attacks, said it had called the police over “far-right threats on Telegram that seek to target immigration solicitors and refugee services” in more than 30 locations across the country on Wednesday.