An “army” of riot police officers is being mobilised to deal with further violent protests, Sir Keir Starmer said on Monday.
After a meeting of Whitehall’s COBRA emergency committee, the Prime Minister said: “We will have a standing army of specialist officers, public duty officers, so we will have enough officers to deal with this where we need them.”
He also stressed that the criminal justice system was being “ramped up” to deal with the thugs involved in the violence.
Sir Keir has triggered a special judicial system so courts can sit for 24 hours to deal with the thugs who rampaged through towns and cities in Britain.
Hundreds of people had already been arrested, with some having already appeared in court, and the Government is pushing for when the “earliest naming” and identification of those involved in the disorder can be made as they face the “full force of the law”.
Sir Keir also stressed that individuals inciting the violence online would be brought before the courts.
The announcement came after ministers held a Cobra meeting on Monday to discuss the government’s response to the riots and violent protests sweeping town and cities in the UK.
Sir Keir vowed rioters would “regret” engaging in “far-right thuggery” and promised those involved in unrest would “face the full force of the law” as he addressed the nation on Sunday after a sixth day of violence.
