Boy, 11, arrested on suspicion of arson after police vehicle set alight in Hartlepool riot as seven charged

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An 11-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a police car was set alight in the Hartlepool riot as seven men have been charged following the unrest.

The town was among the areas where violence broke out across the UK on Wednesday night. It came in the wake of the Southport stabbings on Monday and subsequent unrest that erupted there the following evening.

Misinformation spread widely online after the attack in which three children were killed, and eight children and two adults were injured. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has now put police on an emergency footing to deal with far-right violence as more rallies are planned for the upcoming days.

Following the disorder that broke out in Hartlepool on Wednesday, Cleveland Police said an 11-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after the burning of a police vehicle.

The force also confirmed seven men have been charged with violent disorder. A 42-year-old man was also charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker. A 28-year-old man was charged with violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, as well as violent disorder.

All seven men have been remanded in custody and are due to appear at Teesside Magistrates Court on Friday.

Cleveland Police said 11 other people were arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the disorder, during which officers were attacked with missiles, glass bottles and eggs in the County Durham town.

During the violence, which involved about 150 people meeting at the Cenotaph and descending on Murray Street and the surrounding area, four police officers suffered minor injuries.

Before the protest, officers identified the suspected organiser and arrested a 51-year-old man from Hartlepool on suspicion of distributing written materials to stir up racial hatred. He has been released on conditional bail while inquiries continue.

A woman aged 28, also from the Hartlepool area, was arrested on Wednesday before the demonstration. She was detained on suspicion of unlawfully obtaining or disclosing protected information and distributing written materials to stir up racial hatred relating to personal information placed on social media, and has been released on conditional bail while the investigation continues.

Cleveland Police said it will will maintain a visible presence in the area to reassure and protect the community.

Assistant Chief Constable David Felton said: “This is very much a live investigation and we are continuing to work to identify those involved in the disorder yesterday evening and bring them to justice.

“Disorder of this kind will not be tolerated and those found to be involved will be robustly dealt with.”

Speaking outside Hartlepool Police Station on Thursday afternoon, Chief Constable Mark Webster said the events in the town were “mindless thuggery” and that experienced officers had never seen such disorder there before.

Asked what the motivation was for the disorder, he said: “There is an opportunity to go out and damage things, and just exhibit a bit of violence. I don’t think there is a principle at stake, this was not a legitimate protest or demonstration. I think there is some mindless thuggery and that’s why we are being really proactive to go out and arrest people. There’s no excuse for last night.”

The violence came after riots in Southport on Tuesday and further disorder in London, Aldershot and Manchester on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Make no mistake, whether it’s in Southport, London or Hartlepool, these people are showing our country exactly who they are.

“Mosques targeted because they’re mosques, flares thrown at the statue of Winston Churchill, a Nazi salute at the Cenotaph.

“Because let’s be very clear about this. It’s not protest. It’s not legitimate. It’s crime. Violent disorder. An assault on the rule of law and the execution of justice.

Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme on Thursday that the unrest the night before “doesn’t represent us as a town”.

On Thursday morning, a clean-up operation began in the town as council workers were joined by volunteers in sweeping away the debris.

A police car, which was destroyed when it was set alight, had already been removed by 10am.

Axel Rudakubana, 17, has been charged with the murder of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on Monday.