Keir Starmer pledges 'standing army' as riots spread throughout England and Northern Ireland and protesters appear in court

Keir Starmer held an emergency meeting on Monday (August 5) following his address to the nation the previous day. In his address, he said that violent rioters that have taken to streets in locations in England and Northern Ireland would “regret” engaging in “far-right thuggery”, adding that those involved would “face the full force of the law”.

Speaking after the Cobra meeting, Starmer told reporters that the “standing army” would comprise of specialist police officers. He said: “There are a number of actions that came out of the meeting.

“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.”

A man in South Yorkshire sobbed in court as he became the first person in the area to appear before magistrates following widespread unrest in Sheffield. Curtis Coulson, 30, was seen in the dock wiping away tear as he denied one charge of affray. He was refused bail and remanded in custody with a trail date set for September 20.

A number of men have also been charged and are appearing at Belfast Magistrates’ Court following disorder in the Northern Irish capital. Bail was refused to Simeon Eric McCullough, 46, of Schomberg Drive in Belfast, who was charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting police

Bail was also refused to Gary Creighton, 38, from Inishowen Drive in Belfast, who was charged with possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, possession of fireworks without a licence, and riotous behaviour. He also faced a charge of disorderly behaviour

Bernard Lavery, 34, from Farnham Street in Belfast, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court charged with taking part in an unnotified public procession. Another man was refused bail after he was alleged to have played “significant role” in the Belfast disorder.

Six men have appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, including Josh Kellett, 29, of Southcroft, Washington, who admitted violent disorder. Andrew Smith, 41, of High Street East, Sunderland also admitted the same charge, while Shaun Doran, 48, of Villette Road, Sunderland, pleaded not guilty. Clinton Morrison, 31, of Saint Barnabas Way, Sunderland, did not indicate a plea after being accused of violent disorder. Leanne Hodgson, 42, of Holborn Road, Sunderland denied being involved in initial disorder but admitted joining the crowds after the pub she was finished drinking.

Mosques have been targeted by groups of protesters, with the Home Office announcing that the religious buildings would be offered new protected from rioters under a new “rapid response process”. It came after a large crowd gathered outside the places of worship in Middlesbrough and other cities on Sunday evening (August 4).

In Rotherham, at least 10 policer officers were injured as around 700 anti-immigration rioters attacked a Holiday Inn Express hotel, with masked men smashing windows and starting fires. A similar scene played out in Tamworth, where another Holiday Inn hotel, which was reportedly also housing asylum seekers, was targeted. According to Staffordshire Police, rioters threw projectiles, started fires, smashed windows and targeted police officers in the violent disorder.

In Middlesbrough, far-right rioters smashed the windows on houses and cars, with at least one person seen yelling a racial slur, which another told police officers: “It’s our f*****g country.”

The riots were sparked following the killing of three young girls in Southport last week. Rioters targeted the Merseyside town following a vigil for the three young girls.

Starmer has faced calls to recall parliament, similar to the recall of 2011 following the London riots. Ministers have also rejected calls that police resources are stretched by the violent disorder and have so far held back on calling in the Army to dampen protests.

Dame Sara Khan, who was Rishi Sunak’s independent adviser for social cohesion and resilience until May, blamed the previous Tory government for the rise in far-right sentiment which has culminated in these protests. She told the Guardian: “The writing was clearly on the wall for some time.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wrote in The Times that there would be a “reckoning” for those who took part in the riots and those who “whipped them up on social media and in online chat forums”.

She added: “Whatever they and some of their political supporters may tell us, these are not patriots standing up for their communities,” she said. They are thugs, criminals and extremists who betray the values our country is built on.”