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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Michael Howie

Police officer suffers broken arm as petrol bombs thrown at Tamworth hotel

A police officer was hurt outside a hotel in Tamworth as officers dealt with "despicable thuggery” on a sixth day of escalating unrest in towns and cities across the UK.

A large group of individuals was in the area of the Staffordshire town, with people seen throwing projectiles, smashing windows, starting fires and targeting police on Sunday.

Police said the disorder had ended with the crowd dispersed from outside the Holiday Inn. They appealed for information to help identify people who attacked the hotel and police officers.

A force statement said: "Police officers were faced with being attacked with petrol bombs and fireworks and damage was caused to the hotel by protesters, with the lives of residents inside put at risk. Fortunately, no one inside was injured."

The injured police officer suffered a suspected broken arm.

Police said windows of the hotel had been smashed with three petrol bombs used to start fires.

Officers were continuing to patrol the area overnight.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Ellison said: "The senseless violence and acts of despicable thuggery in Tamworth tonight are completely inexcusable. The local community do not deserve to be subject to this behaviour, and neither do the brave officers putting themselves in harm's way to keep everyone safe.

"I want to echo the messaging that police forces have been championing nationally following the events across the country this week: we will be using footage from CCTV, air support and our officers' body-worn video devices to identify those responsible and seek the toughest possible punishment for these acts of senseless violence."

In a similar incident on Sunday, a Holiday Inn housing asylum seekers was attacked in Rotherham.

At least 10 officers were injured, including one who was knocked unconscious, South Yorkshire Police confirmed later, saying one person had already been arrested and others involved should "expect us to be at their doors very soon".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised that those involved in unrest will "face the full force of the law".

The Home Office announced on Sunday that mosques would be offered greater protection under a new "rapid response process" designed to quickly tackle the threat of further attacks on places of worship.

A large crowd gathered outside a mosque in Middlesbrough on Sunday night and others have also been targeted.

Violence has broken out in several parts of England and Northern Ireland following the killing of three young girls in Southport last week.

Writing in The Times, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said "there will be reckoning" for people who took part in the unrest and those who "whipped them up on social media and in online chat forums".

"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."

She said those responsible would be "paying the price for years to come".

Downing Street is expected to hold a Cobra emergency response meeting on Monday to discuss the escalating disorder.

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