Southport riots review finds police was ‘unprepared’ for scale of disorder [Video]

Police “failed adequately” to recognise warning signs leading up to the Southport riots this summer, with gaps in intelligence linked to social media and the dark web, a watchdog has said.

A report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), released on Wednesday, examines how police responded to riots sparked by the murder of three girls in Southport.

Bebe King, six, Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died after stabbings at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29. Axel Rudakubana, 18, who is accused of their murder is due to appear in court on Wednesday.

Soon after their deaths, more than 600 people were arrested as police cracked down on what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called “far-right thuggery,” with crowds targeting mosques and asylum seeker accommodation.