Sir Keir Starmer will address the nation to make an emergency statement after Britain was gripped by riots following the death of three children in Southport.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a press conference in Downing Street at 4pm today.
Starmer’s address will come just hours after the Prime Minister is due to meet with police chiefs following dozens of arrests related to unrest across the country.
More than 100 people were arrested in London after protesters gathered in Whitehall clutching beer cans and glass bottles.
Police officers on the streets of Hartlepool following a violent protest
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Demonstrators were waving banners saying “enough is enough” and “stop the boats” amid swirling misinformation on social media about the Southport tragedy.
The 17-year-old boy accused of stabbing three children to death was named as Axel Rudakubana.
The Cardiff-born teenager appeared at Liverpool Crown Court earlier today as Judge Andrew Menary KC lifted reporting restrictions.
Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Bebe King, six, were fatally stabbed on Monday at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside.
Southport, Hartlepool, Manchester and London all witnessed violent disorder following the stabbing on Monday.
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Police officers scuffle with people attending the ‘Enough is Enough’ protest in Whitehall
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People attending the ‘Enough is Enough’ protest in Parliament Square, London
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Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash was “appalled” by the disorder in the town on Wednesday night.
He said: “Businesses had their windows smashed, cars burnt out, this behaviour doesn’t represent the Hartlepool people.
“I know people will wake up and be absolutely appalled by what they see on social media and elsewhere.
“The police have done a fantastic job, I will speak again to them today about what we do going forward to ensure that this won’t happen again.”
A machete fight on Southend seafront
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer (centre) is seen carrying a floral tribute near the scene in Hart Street, Southport,
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Aldershot also witnessed a confrontation, with Southend-on-Sea seeing an unrelated violent incident involving machetes.
Local MP Alex Baker rebuked the violence seen in Aldershot, adding: “There is no justification for disorderly behaviour.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the violence as “completely unacceptable”, arguing: “We all have a responsibility to pull together and reject hateful narratives.”
Starmer met with Cleveland Police chief constable Mark Webber and Merseyside Police chief constable Serena Kennedy.
