'Criminal thuggery' as 'far-right' rioters in Sunderland set police station ablaze amid fears of more disorder

3 August 2024, 06:52 | Updated: 3 August 2024, 07:03

Rioters were branded "criminal thugs" after disorder led by the far right broke out in Sunderland on Friday night, with a police station was set on fire and cars overturned .

The rioters set the police station at Signal House, Waterloo Place ablaze as they clashed with police in violent scenes.

Eight people were arrested and three police officers were left needing hospital treatment, as mounted police and officers in riot gear clashed with protestors.

Hundreds of people had gathered in the city's centre in response to Monday's Southport stabbings. Counter-protesters also came out, singing in support of refugees.

Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson said of the rioters: "Our city is not represented by a tiny minority causing trouble."

He added that officers have his "full support as they respond to criminal thuggery and work to protect all the communities of our city".

"Tomorrow the people of Sunderland will come together and continue to build the bright future that we have - a future where every community of our city feels safe and prospers," he said.

Northumbria Police confirmed eight people were arrested and three officers were taken to hospital as the violence erupted.

Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, who led the policing operation, said: "The shocking scenes we have witnessed in Sunderland this evening are completely unacceptable. I want to make it absolutely clear that the disorder, violence and damage which has occurred will not be tolerated.

Read more: Police 'gearing up' for weekend of riots following Southport stabbings as protesters warned of 'robust response'

Read more: Keir Starmer announces ‘support package’ for Southport as he visits community for the second time this week

"The safety of the public is our utmost priority and when we became aware that a protest had been planned, we ensured there was an increased policing presence in the city. During the course of the evening those officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence, which is utterly deplorable."

Clean up was already planned to start at 8am this morning.

"We want our country back," could be heard as balaclava-wearing protesters walked through the city centre.

Footage showed crowds tipping a car as they chanted "get them out" and "whose streets, our streets".

Reacting to the shocking scenes, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “I’m appalled by scenes from Sunderland.

"Make no mistake, if your response to tragedy is to use it to commit violence, to abuse others, attack the police and damage property you stand for nothing except thuggery.

"It’s not protest. It’s crime and disorder. You don’t speak for Sunderland. You don’t speak for this region. Those grieving in Southport will take no comfort from this.”

Home secretary Yvette Cooper slammed the rioters, claiming they "do not represent Britain."

Taking to X, she said: "Criminals attacking the police & stoking disorder on our streets will pay the price for their violence & thuggery.

"The police have the full backing of Government to take the strongest possible action & ensure they face the full force of the law.

"They do not represent Britain."

Northumbria Police said officers were subjected to "serious violence" as thugs caused chaos in the city.

"The scenes that we are seeing are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

"Ensuring the public’s safety is our utmost priority."

Education Secretary and Sunderland MP Bridget Phillipson described unrest in the city as "unforgiveable violence and thuggery".

She said: "The scenes in our city centre tonight are shocking. We have seen unforgiveable violence and thuggery.

"The criminals involved in this appalling disorder must be identified, prosecuted, and punished with the full force of the law.

"Sunderland is better than this and these thugs do not represent our city."

As protestors gathered in Sunderland, counter-protestors came together in Liverpool to defend a mosque from potential violence.

A crowd of about 200 anti-racist protesters gathered outside the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool after rumours of a far-right protest there.

Seventy-year-old Pat, who did not want to give her second name, held a placard saying "Nans against Nazis".

She said: "We're telling them wherever they go, we'll be there.

"We've never allowed them in the city of Liverpool."

This comes after police promised a "robust response" to any disruption this weekend.

Speaking to LBC's Tom Swarbrick, Brian Booth, Acting Deputy National Chair of the Police Federation, declared authorities will be ready to handle any disruption that arises.

He said: "I think you can see from the lead from the government that the police are gearing up very much for this weekend.

"There will be sufficient resources to manage all these incidents that are going to be taking place around the country.

"The officers are very well trained, they will be well equipped and I just hope that the public are starting to listen to what's been happening in the mainstream media and the help stations like yourselves have been doing to try and alleviate some of these tensions and hopefully the general public will stay at home."

Keir Starmer said on Thursday that he was launching a special unit to tackle the violent disorder, that would share information across forces and use facial recognition software to identify criminals.

Meanwhile, Gavin Stephens, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said prosecutors would be on standby to deliver "swift justice" to rioters.

He said: "We agreed as police chiefs to step up our resourcing over the weekend so we will have surge capacity in our intelligence, in our briefing and in the resource that is out in local communities.

"It was really good that we were able to agree also yesterday with the support from our justice partners that there will be additional prosecutors available to make swift decisions, so we have swift justice."