Police station set on fire as riots erupt in Sunderland

A police station was set on fire as far-right demonstrators took to the streets of Sunderland for another night of riots following the Southport stabbings earlier this week.

- TOM WATLING

Footage showed flames pouring from Sunderland Central Police Office as a crowd of men, some wearing balaclavas, surrounded the building.

Earlier, footage shared by Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, showed protesters breaking the windows of the building after throwing bins and various other debris at the station.

Northumbria Police have yet to confirm this, but said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that its officers had been “subjected to serious violence”.

The force added: “The scenes that we are seeing are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Ensuring the public’s safety is our utmost priority.”

Education secretary and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson condemned the unrest in the city as “unforgivable violence and thuggery”.

She said: “The criminals involved in this appalling disorder must be identified, prosecuted, and punished with the full force of the law. Sunderland is better than this and these thugs do not represent our city.”