Riot arrest total rises as Andy Burnham expresses 'gratitude' to counter-protesters who 'made a statement' last night

Rioting arrests in Greater Manchester have surged, the mayor has announced — with ‘more to come’.

Some 47 people have now been detained by GMP in relation to the chaos seen in recent weeks in Newton Heath, Piccadilly Gardens, and Bolton town centre. On Tuesday (August 6), the total stood at 28, Chief Constable Stephen Watson said.

Two days later, that has risen dramatically, according to mayor Andy Burnham, and promised more will come soon. He told BBC Radio Manchester: “47 arrests [have been made] so far. I can assure the public there will be more to come today and in subsequent days.”

READ MORE: Court updates as more suspects appear over Greater Manchester disorder

Last night, rumours of far-right riots swirled across the country, leading police to prepare for the worst. However, those fears never materialised, and the only activity on the streets were large-scale, peaceful counter-demonstrations.

“I will be honest [I feel] a sense of relief and also gratitude to people who saw what was happening and decided we could not have this anymore,” Mr Burnham replied when asked how he felt after the evening’s events.

“The great British public — and I mean that because they are the majority — they came out and made a statement. We owe them a debt of gratitude for that.

“I would like to thank GMP from the Chief Constable and Deputy Chief Constable downwards. They have had a complete grip on things at every level of the force.”

Although protests last night were peaceful, GMP did make seven arrests, the force confirmed. A spokesperson said: “In total, we made seven arrests overnight, all of whom were wanted in connection with disorder from the weekend (3-4 August). As a result of a well-resourced and proactive policing