Troubles in three UK cities forces Starmer to act tough

A night of troubles in three British cities which saw dozens of arrests forced Prime Minister Keir Starmer to convence an emergency meeting with police leaders on Thursday.

Far-right elements have staged protests which have seen cars burned and crowds outside Starmer's official residence since a mass stabbing in a seaside town on Monday in which three small girls were killed.

Starmer "will convene senior policing leaders in Downing Street today to offer them the government's full backing following multiple high-profile incidents of extreme violence and public disorder on our streets", an official statement said.

Protests on Wednesday night rocked London, and the northern cities of Hartlepool and Manchester, with over 100 people arrested in the British capital in a far-right protest over the government response to Monday's stabbing in Southport.

"Over 100 people have been arrested for offences including violent disorder, assault on an emergency worker, and breach of protest conditions," London's Metropolitan police said, adding that some officers suffered minor injuries.

Tensions flared at the demonstration outside Starmer's 10 Downing Street residence, with scuffles, bottles thrown at the police, and shouts of "shame on you".

One protester told AFP that the girls being killed was the "last straw. We've had enough".

In Hartlepool, northeast England, demonstrators set police cars on fire and threw objects at the officers, with police saying eight arrests were made.

Hartlepool police said officers faced having "missiles, glass bottles and eggs being thrown at them, with several suffering minor injuries."

The stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Monday shocked the whole country, with eight...