A “standing army” of specialist police officers is being assembled to crack down on rioting, the Prime Minister said as he called for perpetrators to be named and shamed.
Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “ramp up criminal justice” after an emergency Cobra meeting was called in the wake of a sixth day of disorder which saw rioters storm hotels housing asylum seekers.
Police clashed with crowds one week on from the Southport stabbings as the escalating violence continued over the weekend across the country.
So far, there have been 378 arrests since the violence broke out last week, with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) warning the total was expected to rise each day.
Several suspects faced charges in court on Monday, as ministers and police chiefs descended on Westminster for the meeting setting out the response for the coming days in a bid to clamp down on further unrest.
Calls for the army to be brought in have so far been dismissed, with the Government insisting the police already have the resources needed to respond.
Setting out the action to be taken after the meeting, the Prime Minister said: “The first is we will have a standing army of specialist public duty officers so that we will have enough officers to deal with this where we need them.
“The second is we will ramp up criminal justice. There have already been hundreds of arrests, some have appeared in court this morning.
“I have asked for early consideration of the earliest naming and identification of those involved in the process who will feel the full force of the law.”
READ MORE: PM vows rioters will 'regret' taking part in 'far-right thuggery'
He issued a similar warning to anyone whipping up violence online as the Technology Secretary said social media companies providing “a platform for this hate” must go further in tackling it.
Downing Street also criticised X owner Elon Musk for claiming “civil war is inevitable” in the UK, with officials suggesting online misinformation fuelling disorder on Britain’s streets may be being amplified by foreign state actors.
It comes as Sir Keir addressed the nation on Sunday amid the biggest challenge to his premiership so far, telling perpetrators they would “regret” engaging in “far-right thuggery”.
The PA news agency understands the Prime Minister’s so-called standing army of police specialists is an expansion of the existing mutual aid scheme, to allow officers to be deployed around the country as needed.
How long this measure would be in place, the number of officers involved and what it will cost is not yet known.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the courts are on “standby” to ensure “swift justice”.
Although several cases were already in motion, questions were being raised about how quickly this would happen in reality as it emerged some suspects will not face court for weeks.
Staffordshire Police said two people charged over disorder in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday were not due in court for more than a fortnight and others accused of being involved in unrest in Bristol are not due to face court until September, Avon and Somerset Police said.
Elsewhere, defendants were being brought before magistrates in Belfast, Sheffield, Liverpool and South Tyneside in the latest wave of court appearances.
Judges condemned the “disgraceful” and “large-scale mob violence” while some courts heard how defendants took advantage of the disorder to commit crime.
A woman admitted pushing over a large bin towards police in Sunderland, after getting involved when the pub where she had been drinking closed, and a man said he stole vapes from a shop that had been damaged during the violent scenes in the town after “socialising with friends”.
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