Police braced for unrest from 'shameful' far-right

Riot police will be on standby in every force in England and Wales to tackle planned far-right protests this weekend, with religious leaders condemning "shameful" attempts to sow hatred after the Southport murders.

- Rowena Mason, Neha Gohil, Vikram Dodd

Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian leaders were among those calling for calm at any demonstrations, amid warnings of potential escalation of violent disorder.

Far-right unrest has spread to London, Hartlepool and Manchester, after three girls were murdered, and two adults and eight children seriously injured at a Taylor Swift-themed dance club.

Social media posts wrongly alleged the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker, with a mosque targeted in Southport earlier in the week. A 17-year-old born in Cardiff, Axel Rudakubana, has now been charged with murder and attempted murder.

Forces are said to have intelligence of 25 planned far-right gatherings, while Hope Not Hate, the anti-racism group, said it believed there were least 35 planned across the UK in the coming days. There are also expected to be around 25 "stand up to racism"counter demos.

David Hanson, a Home Office minister, warned demonstrators: "We are watching you" and cautioned them it was a criminal offence to organise ariot. His warning came as:

Hundreds of extra officers and constables trained in handling riots will be on duty in England and Wales, while extra prosecutors will also be on standby, even in places where there are currently no planned demonstrations.

Zara Mohammed of the Muslim Council of Britain said there was “unprecedented aggression” against Muslims, and mosques were getting threatening messages, with a “strong surge of anti-migrant and Islamophobic feeling coming together”.