Several more protests are tacking place today, with thousands gathering outside a hotel in Rotherham before forcing their way in.
Protesters are storming the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham (Image: PA)
Violence has exploded at hotel in Rotherham believed to be used to accommodate asylum seekers, with multiple objects thrown at police and windows smashed before the protestors force their way into the building, with flames rising in one of the doorways.
Demonstrations are also taking place in Bolton, Lancaster, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Aldershot and Weymouth, following shocking scenes yesterday in cities and towns across the UK which resulted in at least 90 arrests, several police officers being injured, and widespread looting.
Yesterday saw 20 arrests by Humberside Police, 10 in Stoke, 20 in Lancashire and 14 in Bristol. Merseyside Police arrested 23 people, with riot officers deployed in County Road, where marauding youths set fire to bins and blocked the street in the early hours.
Chief Constable BJ Harrington, who speaks on public order for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “We know people will try and do this again and policing has been and will continue to be ready. There are 130 extra units in place across the country, meaning almost 4,000 extra public order-trained officers to deploy.
“So if you’re planning to cause trouble and disorder our message is very simple – we’ll be watching you.”
Speaking yesterday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I want everyone to be clear. Anyone who gets involved in criminal disorder, violent thuggery on our streets, will have to pay the price.”
Tiffany Lynch from the Police Federation of England and Wales said while in the past civil unrest was “pocketed” in particular areas of the country, “we’re now seeing it flooding across major cities and towns”.
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Thugs smash Holiday Inn window during Rotherham protests
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Burning bins block County Road, Merseyside (Image: NC)