British PM says communities 'will be safe' in face of riots

  06 August 2024    Read: 931
British PM says communities

Sir Keir Starmer has promised communities they "will be safe" in the face of ongoing disorder in UK towns and cities.

After chairing a second Cobra emergency meeting since the unrest began a week ago, the prime minister said the government was doing "everything we can" to ensure police can respond wherever they are needed.

Nearly 6,000 public order officers are being mobilised to respond to any disorder in the coming days, according to police sources.

More than 400 arrests have been made so far after days of disorder following the killing of three girls in Southport, fuelled by misinformation spread online that the suspect was an asylum seeker.
It is understood there are at least 30 potential gatherings planned for Wednesday that police are aware of but they believe the situation is "manageable".

Police hope to be "through the worst" of the disorder, but are ready to respond if the situation escalates, sources said.

Meanwhile, immigration lawyers have told they BBC they fear being attacked after their workplaces were on a list of offices circulated on social media.

They said they had been advised by police to work from home, board up office windows and install fireproof letterboxes.

After Tuesday evening's Cobra meeting, attended by ministers and members of law enforcement, Sir Keir repeated his message that those taking part in unrest will "feel the full force of the law".

About 100 people have now been charged in relation to the disorder, with more suspected rioters appearing in court on Tuesday, and Sir Keir said he expects "substantive sentencing" by the end of this week.

"That should send a very powerful message to anybody involved, either directly or online, that you are likely to be dealt with within a week," he said.


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