The home secretary has said prison places “are ready” for the “thuggish minority of criminals” rioting across the UK, ahead of an emergency COBRA meeting today.
Yvette Cooper will hold the emergency meeting this morning following nearly a week of rioting in cities and towns across the UK.
More than 140 people have been arrested so far across the country. In Middlesbrough alone, officers arrested 43 people.
She told Sky News those involved, who have injured police, targeted mosques and caused criminal damage, are “a thuggish minority of criminals”.
“They do not speak for our communities,” she said.
Ms Cooper added: “We’ve made sure there are additional prosecutors in place, that there are prisons, that prison places ready, and also that the courts stand ready as well.
“We have made very clear to the police they have our full support in pursuing the full range of prosecutions and penalties, including the serious prison sentences, long term tagging, travel bans and more.”
She vowed “the full range of offenders” – from those who turned up at the last minute to those who carried out arson “will face arrest and a prison cell…in order to make sure they do pay the price for what they have done”.
Several MPs, including from Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, have called for parliament to be recalled from its summer recess to deal with the violence.
Over the weekend, Sir Keir Starmer called the riots “far-right thuggery” and promised: “I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder.”
The riots started following the stabbing of a group of young children, in which three died, at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport, north of Liverpool, on 29 July.
Axel Rudakubana, 17, has been charged with their murders and attempted murders.
Southport residents, including the mother of one of the girls who died, have called for the protesters to stop as they do not speak for them.
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