Southport stabbing suspect named as violent riots spark major change

Empty buckets of water have gradually been filled with flowers near where three young girls lost their lives in the fatal stabbing on Monday.

They’re surrounded by balloons, stuffed toys and cards people have left to commemorate six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar.

It is located on Maple Street, just off Hart Street where the attack took place.

Expanded stop and search powers introduced across Southport yesterday afternoon have been extended until tomorrow.

The ‘enhanced powers’ were initially put in place to minimise violence after bricks were thrown and vehicles were set on fire on.

Community Inspector Doug Chadwick said: ‘Section 60 orders are an effective tool in our efforts to protect the public from the violence and destruction the town saw on Tuesday, allowing us to stop and search people suspected of carrying weapons or planning any criminality.

‘People living in Southport will now be used to seeing a highly visible police presence on their streets.

‘I hope that presence is reassuring, and I would ask anyone with concerns to speak to our officers.’

A crackle of thunder and a patter of rain may be just what police were hoping for tonight.

That’s the case in London at least, where Met Office predictions have just come true.

Fear of further violence could well have been extinguished as a result.

‘Hot weather and large groups leads to an outburst of violence’, former Metropolitan Police detective Norman Brannan told Metro earlier today.

‘Police officers pray for heavy rain. It dulls spirits and deters people from turning up.’

As kids hurled bricks at riot police, a refugee family’s home was targeted, and an Asian man was punched in the face as he walked down the street, the gates of Hartlepool’s Nasir Mosque stayed securely locked.

This was thanks to a warning from police around 6.30pm last night, bringing an abrupt end to a night class for children as the mosque was urged to lock up.

Its imam, Tahir Selby, said today: ‘I found out that the police had blocked the area to avoid any marches going past the mosque.

‘The police did a tremendous job. We’re very grateful to them. We have a very good relationship with the police and we’re very pleased that nothing happened here.’

A Hampshire hotel thought to house refugees became the focus of an anti-migrant demonstration in Aldershot last night.

It’s been the sites of protests before in recent months, but a protest, described as ‘mob-type’ by the local police and crime commissioner, turned violent on Wednesday.

Some of the roughly 200 protesters, who carried signs calling for deportations, broke a perimeter wall so bricks could be thrown.

One police officer sustained minor injuries during the unrest at Potters International Hotel, according to Hampshire Police.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Bartolomeo: ‘It is totally unacceptable to turn that lawful right into criminal acts including incidents of criminal damage, racial abuse and intimidation. This will not be tolerated.’

There has been some speculation that disruption was caused by people not from the local area.

Aldershot MP Alex Baker said: ‘This incident was exacerbated by people from outside our community who came here determined to cause unrest.’

The prime minister said police forces will come together to share information and make sure known rioters are not able to ‘board the train in the first place’.

He said: ‘These thugs are mobile, they move from community to community. We must have a policing response that can do the same.

‘Shared intelligence, wider deployment of facial recognition technology and preventive action, criminal behaviour orders to restrict their movements, before they can even board a train.

‘In just the same way that we do with football hooligans.’

Starmer warned large social media companies, reminding them ‘violent disorder clearly whipped up online is also a crime and it is happening on your premises’.

He said: ‘We will take all necessary action to keep our streets safe.’

It comes after Merseyside Police confirmed the name of the suspect circulating online was incorrect.

A judge has since lifted reporting restrictions, naming the suspect as Axel Rudakubana.

In his press conference, the prime minister condemned the actions ‘gangs of violent thugs’ following the riots across the UK.

He met with police chiefs today to discuss action to be taken against the far-right from travelling to areas to stir disorder.

He said: ‘In the aftermath of the attack, the community of Southport had to suffer twice.

‘A gang of thugs got on trains and buses, went to a community that is not their own, a community grieving the most horrific tragedy, and then proceeded to throw bricks at police officers – police officers who just 24 hours earlier had been having to deal with an attack on children in their community.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said ‘action will be taken’ following what he called ‘violent disorder’ in parts of England in the wake of the Southport stabbings.

At a meeting in Downing Street to discuss recent violent disorder in some towns in England in the wake of the Southport stabbings, he told police chiefs: ‘I wanted to send a message to each of you and through you, your officers, to say that this Government supports the police, supports what you are doing and to be absolutely clear: This is not protest, this is violent disorder and action will be taken.

‘So, this Government will make sure you have got the powers you need and will back you in using those powers.’

Axel Rudakubana was shouted at as he left Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon.

As the defendant left the court building in a police convoy, people jeered from a small crowds that had gathered in the street.

A number of people shouted ‘f****** scumbag’ as the prison van pulled out of the complex, with a number of police vehicles escorting.

More than 30 police officers lined the edges of pavement as the convoy left and others stopped the traffic on the main road past Liverpool’s docks.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood have also arrived at 10 Downing Street for the Prime Minister’s meeting with police chiefs.

At least a dozen police chiefs have arrived for their meeting with the Prime Minister on Thursday afternoon.

The group entered 10 Downing Street and ignored questions from the gathered media about what they hoped to ask Sir Keir Starmer.

Further police chiefs are expected to arrive before the start of the meeting in at 2.30pm.

Sir Keir Starmer will hold a press conference at approximately 4pm today following a meeting with senior police chiefs about the disorder seen in parts of England.

The Prime Minister will speak about the gathering with policing leaders and take questions from the media, after scenes of violent unrest in London, Hartlepool and Manchester on Wednesday evening.

Rioters clashed with police in Southport on Tuesday, attacking officers and setting a van on fire, following the fatal stabbing of three children in the Lancashire town on Monday.

A 17-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article, in relation to the attack.

A fake news website with links to Russia helped spread lies about the Southport stabbings which led to a series of violent riots throughout the UK.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack on Monday, a Twitter account masquerading as an American news outlet published a false claims about the suspect’s identity and background, claiming he was an ‘illegal migrant’ who was ‘on an MI6 watch list’.

The claims were swiftly debunked but widely amplified in the meantime, and are credited with playing a role in sparking the wave of violence seen in Southport and throughout the country in recent days.

However, closer inspection of ‘Channel3 News’ reveals it to have links to Russian intelligence services, amidst warnings that the Kremlim may be planning a social media disinformation campaign.

Read the full story below:

The country needs to have a conversation about false information spread by the far right on social media, Hartlepool’s MP has said.

Jonathan Brash told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: ‘The conversation we need to start having is about the way these far-right groups are disseminating false information on social media.

‘Because I see it almost every single day – straight-up lies about these situations designed to cause violence, to incite racial hatred, to incite people to violence.

‘We have to deal with that situation because there is so much misinformation and it’s being spread quite deliberately to stoke tension in communities and ultimately it’s the communities that are suffering as a result.’

Last night’s violent unrest ‘doesn’t represent us as a town’, Brash added, telling the broadcaster: ‘This has clearly been co-ordinated on social media earlier in the day, so it’s not clear what the mix was in terms of who was there.

‘But what’s very, very clear, and I can’t stress this enough, is the behaviour of that small minority of lawless individuals is not in any way, shape or form reflective of Hartlepool, its people, its values, most of whom have been getting in touch with me today to express their absolute disgust at what we saw on the streets last night.

‘It doesn’t represent us as a town.’

Axel Rudakubana, who spent the entire 55 minutes of the hearing covering his whole face, with his grey sweatshirt pulled up to his hairline, and at times rocking back and forth and side to side, will next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on October 25.

A provisional trial date, lasting six weeks, was scheduled for January 20, next year.

Judge Menary told the defendant, who did not acknowledge the judge and continued to keep his head down: ‘You are remanded to youth detention accommodation until these proceedings have been completed.

‘That position might change when you achieve your majority in a short while.’

Axel Rudakubana is still underage and therefore unable to be indentified under UK law, he was due to turn 18 next week, on August 7.

However, having heard arguments from the prosecution, defence and media about whether reporting his identity should be restricted until his 18th birthday, Judge Andrew Menary KC has decided to lift reporting restrictions.

Explaining his judgement to the court, Judge Menary said: ‘Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum.’

He added: ‘Whilst I accept it is exceptional given his age, principally because he is 18 in six days time I do not make an order under section 45.’

Axel Rudakubana has been further remanded in youth detention accommodation after appearing at Liverpool Crown Court.

He is charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article following the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on Monday.

He is also accused of possessing a kitchen knife with a curved blade.

During his first appearance in court earlier today, Rudakubana smiled at a row of reporters sat behind the glass dock before he was asked to sit down.

A judge at Liverpool Crown Court has declined to make an order under Section 45 concerning the defendant’s identity.

The suspect can now be named as Axel Rudakubana.

The 17-year-old, who turns 18 in just six days time, could previously not be named because of his age.

However, he would have lost his anonymity on Wednesday when he turned 18.

Rudakubana was born to Rwandan parents in Cardiff before moving to the village of Banks in Lancashire.