Police officers injured, cars set on fire and bricks thrown as 'sickening' protest breaks out in Southport

More than twenty police officers were injured in Southport as violent disorder erupted just hours after a vigil took place to honour the three children killed in a horrific knife attack on Monday.

The Southport community rallied together to support those affected by the attack, and hundreds of people took part in a vigil outside The Atkinson on Tuesday evening, laying flowers and cards and lighting candles in remembrance.

The vigil was followed by a protest outside a mosque, which Merseyside Police said was believed to involve supporters of the English Defence League, just a few streets away on St Luke’s Road.

Officers were seen in helmets and riot gear, with stones and bottles launched at them and police riot vans attacked. Firecrackers could be heard going off along with multiple police sirens sounding. A crowd of men, many wearing masks and hoodies, were in a running battle with officers outside the mosque as more police arrived.

Merseyside Police said 22 officers were injured in the riot and of those, eight sustained serious injuries including fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion. Other officers suffered varying degrees of injury including head injuries, serious facial injuries and one was knocked unconscious. Three police dogs were also injured and off-duty officers from forces across the North West attended the scene to offer support. The force said the people involved also set cars belonging to members of the public alight, threw bricks at the local Mosque and damaged a local convenience store, and set wheelie bins were set on fire. The protest comes after Bebe King, aged six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar died after the ‘ferocious’ knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class for children on Monday.

Eight other children suffered stab wounds during the attack, and five of them are currently in a critical condition in hospital. Two adults were also seriously injured after ‘bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked’.

A 17-year-old boy from Cardiff, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder following the incident at the dance studio in Hart Street and remains in custody. Police say the suspect was born in Wales, however, false claims that he was an asylum seeker who recently arrived in the UK have circulated online.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Merseyside Police condemned Tuesday’s violent disorder and Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said: “It is sickening to see this happening within a community that has been devastated by the tragic loss of three young lives.”

Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss continued: “Tonight, Merseyside Police has faced serious violence in Southport and I am so proud to have witnessed off-duty officers (many of whom had not long finished a full shift) parade back on duty to support their colleagues who had displayed such courage whilst under constant and sustained attack. I would also like to thank officers from Greater Manchester Police, Cheshire Police, Lancashire Police and North Wales Police who also provided mutual aid and support. “Sadly, offenders have destroyed garden walls so they could use the bricks to attack our officers and have set cars belonging to the public on fire, and damaged cars parked in the Mosque car park. This is no way to treat a community, least of all a community that is still reeling from the events of Monday. We would appeal to anyone who has information or video footage of those involved in this shocking behaviour to come forward so we can identify and arrest those responsible. Anyone with information can DM @MerPolCC or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”