Sadiq Khan urges Londoners to check on friends and neighbours amid rioting

Sadiq Khan has pleaded with Londoners to check on their friends and neighbours, as Muslims and minority ethnic people have been left fearful after the recent riots.

The mayor of London said he was aware of specific locations that may be targeted in the city on Wednesday and has warned “anyone thinking of spreading hatred and fear in our city: if you break the law, action will be taken against you”.

Khan went further and noted that “acts of violence and disorder on the streets of London will not be tolerated”. He said anyone found to have committed a crime “will be arrested and face the full force of law”.

“The disorder, racism and violence that we have seen in towns and cities across the country in the last week have been truly shocking,” Khan posted on X. “I know the shocking scenes have left many Muslims and minority ethnic communities scared and fearful, so I ask my fellow Londoners to check on their friends and neighbours and show them that care and compassion is what Londoners are all about.

“In London, we have zero tolerance for racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism or any form of hate and we pride ourselves on being open, diverse and welcoming of all faiths and backgrounds. It’s woven deeply into the fabric of our great city and is why those who seek to divide our communities will never win.”

The communities minister, Jim McMahon, acknowledged that people across the country were “feeling very anxious” amid fears of further riots on Wednesday, after the location of immigration advice centres was shared on chat groups as possible targets.

McMahon urged people to be “vigilant”, adding: “It doesn’t matter what the cause or motivation is – if somebody breaks the law and causes damage and intimidation, they will be dealt with.”

But the minister dodged questions on whether the government was considering shutting down the social media app Telegram, which has been accused of providing a platform for organising riots in the UK.

He also refused to detail how Keir Starmer would respond to Elon Musk, the owner of X, who called the prime minister “two-tier Keir” in a series of tweets on Tuesday in reference to the claim that police are treating white far-right “protesters” more harshly than minority groups, saying ministers were focused on “dealing with disturbances”.

Sir Thomas Winsor, a former HM chief inspector of constabulary, said there should be “criminal liability” for senior managers at social media companies who tolerate “harmful material” and the incitement of crimes on their websites.

He said Musk should “stick to batteries, cars and rockets because he’s very good at it and leave to the UK authorities the job of dealing with the protection of the safety and security of our communities”.

Calling for the implementation of a licensing system for social media companies operating in the UK, Winsor told LBC radio: “I’m not talking about individuals but if there are executives of large companies and those companies have or are thought to be committing offences – the regulatory system which I contemplated and spoke about five years ago was creating a licensing system in the UK.

“In other words, you need a licence from the government regulatory authority to operate public infrastructure like you do with energy, telecommunications, water and transport – they’re no different.”

The prime minister has said a “standing army” of 6,000 specialist officers will be ready by the end of the week, as police are braced for planned disorder from “hateful and divisive groups”, with at least 30 possible gatherings and threats against immigration law specialists.