A police van has been set on fire and officers have been injured in disorder outside a Southport mosque – with the chaos erupting in the wake of a knife attack that left three girls dead in the Merseyside town.
A crowd of men, many wearing masks and hoodies, have been in a running battle with officers outside the mosque this evening – with chants of “English til I die” heard before the violence broke out.
Police have said they believe the men are part of the far-right English Defence League.
The disorder comes after the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper urged social media users not to spread “false information” about Monday’s attack or the suspect online.
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in relation to the stabbings at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event. Police have not confirmed his identity due to his age but have said he was born in the UK.
There is no suggestion he is a Muslim.
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Merseyside Police has said a large group of people began throwing objects at the mosque on St Luke’s Road at around 7:45pm this evening.
Officers later put on helmets and riot gear as bottles and wheelie bins were thrown at them.
A police officer suffered a suspect broken nose and one of the force’s vans was set on fire.
The force said additional patrols were later sent to the scene including a dog unit.
Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said that many of the people involved in tonight’s violence do not live in Merseyside or care about the people who live in the county.
He added: “There has been much speculation and hypothesis around the status of a 17-year-old male who is currently in police custody and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets.
“We have already said that the person arrested was born in the UK and speculation helps nobody at this time.
“Our officers should not have to face this, but we will be there tonight to ensure the safety of the local community who have suffered enough, and will arrest those involved in criminal behaviour.”
The situation outside the mosque appeared to have calmed down as dark descended, with numbers on the street having thinned.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it was “appalling” police officers in Southport were facing attacks from “thugs on the streets who have no respect for a grieving community”, adding: “It’s a total disgrace”.
Around an hour before the disorder broke out at the mosque, police arrested a man who had been seen with a flick knife close to where a vigil had taken place for the three girls who died.
The 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article and taken into custody.
What happened in Southport on Monday?
Police were called to a premises on Hart Street in Southport shortly before midday on Monday after 11 children and two adults were stabbed.
Three of the children later died and have been named as six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar.
Five other children are still in a critical condition in hospital, while the exact conditions of three other children injured are not known – but they are all being treated in hospitals across Liverpool and Manchester.
Two adults were also critically injured in the attack and have been named locally as yoga teacher Leanne Lucas, who co-organised the dance event for six to 11-year-olds, and John Hayes, who works at the premises where the stabbings took place.