Police building set on fire and officers in hospital as far-right riot in Sunderland

A police building went up in flames last night as riots spread to Sunderland, with three officers taken to hospital.

Cars were set alight as officers were pelted with horse poo and beer cans in far-right disorder, with action threatened in more cities still today.

Lawyers have been put on standby and jail cells cleared in readiness for a weekend of rioting.

It follows the killing of three girls in town at a Taylor Swift dance class on Monday, with disruption in Southport, Hartlepool and London earlier this week.

Violent protests which emerged in the aftermath of the Southport stabbings have seen people hurling bricks at officers and shouts of racial slurs.

Footage of the rioting shared on YouTube showed a man with a swastika tattooed on his back marching through Sunderland last night.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said ‘action will be taken’ towards those found to be involved in violent protest.