UK protests today live: Tamworth and Rotherham hotels torched as Starmer to hold Cobra meeting

Downing Street has confirmed that there will be an emergency Cobra meeting today as the government evaluates its response to the far-right violence over the weekend.

The committee of police, ministers, civil servants and more will gather to bring political leaders the latest updates on the events. The prime minister is expected to outline his plan to curb further rioting and locate those involved soon.

The Home Office issued a statement on Sunday offering mosques “emergency security” if they request it. A spokesperson said: “The Government has made clear that targeted attacks on Muslim communities will not be tolerated.”

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer condemned those involved in the violent scenes, saying: “those that have participated in this violence will face the full force of the law.

“The police will be making arrests. Individuals will be held on remand, charges will follow and convictions will follow.”

Shadow home secretary James Cleverly said the Tories would support the government in restoring order on the streets but warned that the government should have acted more speedily.

Speaking to Radio 4’s Today, he said: “This is one of those situations where we don’t want to and will not oppose just for the sake of opposing. We want the government to be successful in this endeavor, we want peace to be restored to the streets of this country, we want those who have been perpetrating the violence are brought to justice.

“I am critical that key decisions could and should have been made earlier. I think the fact that most of yesterday we were still not sure whether the prime minister would or would not be going on holiday, I don’t think it sends the right signal.

“I think that COBR should have been convened much earlier than today. There are important operational decisions about the nature of mutual aid, the funding of overtime, the use of powers, the clarity of leadership at a political level to support our police officers on the street across the UK.

“All these things can be done much, much earlier.”

Cleverly disagreed with parliament being recalled.

He said: “I don’t think there is anything that parliament needs to sign off. If the flow of information is fast enough that will give the reassurance that parliament wants.”

However, he also warned that the Home Office should retake powers back from the Department for Culture Media and Sport to tackle disinformation online.

“I fought to have those powers when I was home secretary,” he said.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said there would be a “reckoning” following unrest across England, as she pledged that anyone involved in the riots will “pay the price”.

She told Sky News: “It’s a total disgrace and there has to be a reckoning. Those individuals who are involved in the disorder need to know that they will pay a price.”

“I’ve made clear to the police they have my full support in going after the full range of offenders, from those who turned up at the last minute and joined in the looting, to some of the most serious offenders who were pursuing really dangerous arson, really dangerous damage and criminal violence, because we simply cannot stand for this.

“So we should be clear, there will be people who were thinking they were going on their summer holidays this week, and instead they will face a knock on the door from the police.

“They will face arrest and… a police cell, while they wait for trial in order to make sure that they do pay the price for what they have done,” she added.

Ms Cooper claimed that social media has put “rocket boosters” under far-right organisations.

Police investigating reports of violence and disorder on the streets of Belfast on Saturday have charged four men.

Sporadic violence developed across the city centre and further disorder was reported in the Sandy Row area.

A 53-year-old has been charged with resisting police, three counts of assault on police and disorderly behaviour.

Meanwhile, a 46-year-old man has been charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting police.

A 38-year-old has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, possession of fireworks without a licence, and riotous behaviour. He also faces the charge of disorderly behaviour.

A 34-year-old has been charged with taking part in an unnotified public procession.

The four men are due to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Petrols bombs were thrown at a Holiday Inn in Tamworth last night as an officer suffered a suspected broken arm.

Staffordshire Police say officers were “targeted with violence” alongside two hotels in the area, as the crowd quickly becoming “hostile” towards the police.

A spokesperson said: “Police officers were faced with being attacked with petrol bombs and fireworks and damage was caused to the hotel by protesters, with the lives of residents inside put at risk.”

They say no one inside the hotel was injured, and only one officer. Patrols will continue throughout the day as police work to locate those involved last night.

Avon and Somerset Police said 14 people have been arrested following disorder in Bristol.

Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen said in a statement: “Some of the scenes we saw in Bristol tonight were completely unacceptable.

“We will always facilitate peaceful and lawful protests, however the behaviour from a minority of people tonight crossed the line.

“Fourteen people have been arrested for various offences and there will be further arrests over the coming days as we work to identify those responsible for this disorder. Make no mistake – they will face the full force of the law for their thuggery.

“I’d like to thank officers, including those who have come from other forces, for their commitment to protecting the public and also our partners for all their support.”

Pictures from the scene show several arrests being made, as well as a police car that has been damaged by rioters.

A Black man beaten by a mob, an Asian man stabbed at a train station and mosques under siege – just some of the horrifying racist incidents carried out by far-right thugs in England this week.

The country has been engulfed by racist riots over the past few days, in the wake of the killings of three young girls in Southport on Monday. Protests in cities including Liverpool, Leeds and Belfast descended into chaos over the weekend, with far right thugs clashing with riot police and multiple incidents of ethnic minorities attacked on the streets.

Sparked by Islamophobic and racist sentiments, rioters have pelted bricks, chairs and bottles at officers, mosques have been attacked, shops looted and numerous community facilities across the country, including a library and Citizens Advice Bureau building, have been torched in the violence.

The Independent’s Race Correspondent Nadine White reports: