Police station torched amid fresh wave of protests after Southport stabbings

Sunderland's main police station is believed to have been torched tonight (August 2) amid a fresh wave of protests sparked by the fatal stabbing of three children in Southport.

English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson posted a video on X which showed the police station ablaze, with the words: "You should've listened @Keir_Starmer." Shops in Sunderland are also understood to have been looted after a protest turned violent.

A storefront can be seen with its glass smashed through, while members of the public are captured running inside.

Sunderland councillor Kelly Chequer slammed the protestors as "mindless thugs" stoking hatred. She said: "The devastating events that unfolded in Sunderland city centre tonight were not the actions of peaceful protesters, but mindless thugs intent to stoke hatred, intimidate and harm others. Our thoughts go out to the officers and the members of the public who were hurt in tonight’s attacks and people who have had their property damaged and seen their businesses suffer.

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"There is absolutely no room for this kind of behaviour in a civilised society and I would like to reassure residents that we will do absolutely everything in our power to work with the authorities to bring those responsible for tonight’s events to account. Sunderland is a warm and welcoming city and we must ensure that the small percentage of the population intent on destroying the very social fabric which makes this city so great do not win."

Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson said he was “appalled” by disorder in the city centre on Friday night. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “Our city is not represented by a tiny minority causing