Police remain braced for disturbances despite a relatively quiet night on Tuesday after a week of violent unrest.
Although officers in Liverpool and Durham issued dispersal orders to head off potential unrest, Tuesday night was free of the violent scenes that have played out across Britain since the initial disturbances in Southport a week earlier.
But police are still anticipating a busy day on Wednesday as they monitor reports of at least 30 possible gatherings and threats against immigration law specialists, some of which had either closed or accepted offers of additional police protection.
A list of solicitors’ firms and advice agencies has been shared in chat groups as possible targets for gatherings, with the message inviting people to “mask up” if they attend.
Tell Mama, a group monitoring Islamophobia in the UK, said it had alerted police and counter-terrorism to the “far-right threats”.
The Law Society of England and Wales described such gatherings as a “direct assault on our legal profession”, while Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said threats against solicitors were “unacceptable” and those making them would “join the hundreds of others who have already been arrested by police within the last week”.
Around 100 people have already been charged in connection with the recent disturbances, and charges continued to be brought on Tuesday night with defendants expected in court on Wednesday.
Overnight, two 38-year-old men were charged with violent disorder in connection with unrest in Southport and Liverpool.
Sir Keir Starmer praised the “robust and swift response” of the criminal justice system, adding that he expected sentencing of some of those involved to take place by the end of the week.
Speaking to reporters after chairing his second Cobra meeting in two days, the Prime Minister said: “That should send a very powerful message to anybody involved, either directly or online, that you are likely to be dealt with within a week.
“Nobody, but nobody, should be involved themselves in this disorder.”
He sought to reassure communities, pledging to keep people safe, while Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told chief constables the Government would provide support with overtime pay and other resources needed by police forces.
But the Government has faced criticism from some on the right, as well as from Elon Musk, the US-based owner of social media platform X, that police had handled the disorder more harshly than if it had involved members of ethnic minorities.
Having rejected the accusation of “two-tier policing” on Monday, former home secretary and Tory leadership contender Dame Priti Patel told GB News on Tuesday night that Sir Keir should recall Parliament to respond to the claims.
She said: “The fact that that perception exists undermines public trust and confidence in our police. That’s not a good place to be.”
The Government has rejected the claims, and the Prime Minister told reporters his focus was on “ensuring that our communities are safe”.
Approximately 6,000 specialist officers will be at the ready by the end of the week for the so-called “standing army” of police announced by Sir Keir on Monday. These officers have been taken away from their regular duties to deal with ongoing disorder.
In addition to more riot police being put on standby, forces are also stepping up neighbourhood policing patrols, teams of detectives are drawing on CCTV, body-worn footage and making use of retrospective facial recognition to identify perpetrators of violence, and intelligence teams are monitoring well-known influencers and organisers for activity.
Ms Cooper said: “Criminals should expect to pay the price for violent thuggery and disorder on our streets. Keyboard warriors also cannot hide, as criminal organisation and incitement online will be liable for prosecution and strong penalties too. “
More than 400 people have been arrested after disorder around England and Northern Ireland, according to police sources, with the number expected to rise in the coming days.
The violence was sparked by false claims about the identity of the teenager suspected of killing three young girls and injuring several others in a knife attack in Southport on July 29, and has seen shops looted and hotels housing asylum seekers attacked.
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