Moment blaze rips through cop car as firefighters battle to dampen flames after riots erupt AGAIN over Southport tragedy
AN inferno ripped through a cop car last night after riots erupted AGAIN in the wake of the Southport tragedy.
Bricks were hurled at police who tried to fend off crowds of protestors amid a violent clash in Hartlepool just hours after more than 100 were arrested for similar stand-off at Downing Street.
The brutality followed the horror that unfolded on Monday at a Merseyside holiday dance class, which left three innocent schoolgirls dead and five more still fighting for their lives.
A boy, 17, was last night charged with the murder of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe – and 10 counts of attempted murder.
He will appear at Liverpool City Magistrates’ Court today.
But ahead of the alleged killer being charged, protestors spilled onto the streets of Hartlepool.
Horror footage showed the violent clash at its peak – with cops in riot suits battling to hold the masses at bay.
Bricks and bottles were lobbed at the police, as they fought to push the crowds back.
In another shocking clip a blaze could be seen tearing through a cop car – the second that has been set alight in two days.
A massive bang was heard as its fuel tank went up in flames, eventually leaving the car a charred shell.
Snaps then showed fire crews battling to extinguish the blaze.
Cleveland Police confirmed that four people had been arrested for various offences including public order and affray.
Several officers suffered injuries after missiles were launched by yobs amid the chaos.
Chief Superintendent David Sutherland said on Wednesday night: “We currently have a high policing presence while officers respond to disorder that is taking place in Hartlepool following a protest that began this evening.
“At this stage we believe the protest is in connection with the incident in Southport earlier this week.
“Our officers are facing missiles, glass bottles and eggs being thrown at them and have made arrests as they remain in the area to protect the safety of those living in the community.
“I want to urge members of the public to stay away from the area.”
It came just hours after riots broke out outside Downing Street – seeing flares and bricks hurled near the gates of the Prime Minister’s residence.
One hundred people were arrested with a number of protesters detained as police drove them into Trafalgar Square.
Several men were wrestled to the floor and handcuffed as cops managed to slowly get a handle on the situation.
'Social media to blame for fake news'
By Imran Ahmed
After we heard the first shocking reports that children had been stabbed in Southport, we went to social media to try and find out the truth – who did this and why?
But the problem with our reliance on social media as a source of information is that all platforms are designed in ways that show us lies first and the truth last.
Journalists working for a newspaper or broadcaster try to tell us what they can prove, which can be unclear in the immediate wake of a tragedy.
Social media platforms, instead, look at how much engagement their posts get.
That’s because they don’t actually care about the value to society of that information, rather the value to them.
Let’s be clear, social media companies are to blame. They let people break their rules with impunity.
The reason they do this is simple: hate and lies are big business for social media.
That’s how the truth loses, and the lies of extremists and weirdos enter the mainstream.
Social media companies pretend this is complicated, but the basic solutions are simple.
First, we need to force these companies to come clean on how their algorithms boost dangerous lies.
Second, we need to hold them accountable with fines and penalties.
American social media giants are to blame for this chaos. It’s them, not the people of Southport, who should be paying for the cleanup and coppers’ medical bills.
Before anyone could report the truth in Stockport, selfish and cynical losers were using social media to exploit this tragedy and push hateful lies.
With zero evidence, they claimed that Muslims were behind the attack and that the police were hiding the truth.
And they know that the more outrageous the lie, the more people will see it.
The consequences were plain to see, as gangs of thugs descended on Southport, shamefully using the deaths of three young girls to whip up hate and attack the police.
Tuesday’s riots in Southport saw protesters try and attack a mosque with police vehicles set ablaze.
Cops suffered serious injuries when bricks, stones and bottles were thrown in chaotic scenes.
Merseyside Police said more than 50 officers were injured amid the disorder.
The night prior, riots broke out in Southport.
Speculation about the alleged attacker’s identity circulated online, seeing the tension that already existed after Monday’s horrific attack explode.
Despite social media claims, cops stressed that the suspect was born in Cardiff.
The mum of Elsie Stancombe – one of three victims so far from the attack – had condemned the violence and urged protesters to stop after the riots in her town.
In a message widely shared online, Jenni Stancombe said: “This is the only thing that I will write, but please stop the violence in Southport tonight.
“The police have been nothing but heroic these last 24 hours and they and we don’t need this.”