Police disperse protesters after missiles hurled

Police equipped with riot shields dispersed groups at several points in the afternoon

Riot police were deployed in Stoke-on-Trent after hundreds of people protested in the wake of the Southport attacks.

The demonstration was one of several across the UK on Saturday, some of which turned violent.

Officers in Stoke-on-Trent city centre came under fire from missiles at one point and Staffordshire Police said two men were also hit by a blunt object that was thrown.

Ten people were arrested in connection with the disorder and remained in custody on Saturday evening, the force said.

The 10 arrested, aged from 15 to 52, were mostly from the Stoke-on-Trent or Staffordshire area, officers said.

Three police officers were assaulted and suffered minor injuries.

A crowd of about 400 people gathered at about 11:30 BST in Hanley along with other groups of counter-protesters, including one outside the now-closed Hanley Town Hall.

Earlier in the day the protests were largely peaceful but Staffordshire Police said a number of demonstrators had been dispersed by officers during the day and a large-scale policing operation remained in place six hours on.

Hundreds of protesters descended on Hanley on Saturday

A Section 34 dispersal notice was also authorised allowing police to disperse people who might return to the area.

Misinformation had been common on several social media platforms during the day and in an evening update the force said claims of two stabbings were "false".

It said no stabbings were reported to police "despite videos fuelling speculation on social media".

One in particular, which showed a man being treated for an injury to his head, "fuelled the speculation", a spokesperson added.

"We would like to reiterate that two men involved in the incident were hit with a blunt object that was thrown in the air," they said and added their injuries were not thought to be serious.

Islamophobic chants could be heard on some video footage while others showed officers coming under fire from missiles.

Members of the North Staffordshire Campaign Against Racism staged a counter-protest.

One of them, Sarah Breene-Crum, said: "It's an insult to the families that have lost their children, the way that the far-right have behaved over the last few days."

Simon Crum added: "There is a silent majority out there that are moderate and want a fairer society where we do allow immigrants and we look after refugees and we look after everyone."

There was a large police presence on the streets of Hanley for much of the day

As protesters made their way through Hanley, several buildings were closed for a time as well as a main route out of the city centre.

A spokesperson for The Irish Woodman pub in Hanley said they and other firms in the area closed for the day due to the protests.

"Due to the terrible events in Hanley at the moment I've made the decision to close the pub for the rest of the day along with other businesses in Hanley," they said in a post on Facebook.

Saturday’s protests, sparked by the death of three girls at a holiday dance session on Monday, came on the same day as a children’s dance production at Stoke-on-Trent's Regent Theatre.

The presence of protesters outside following a matinee performance of Never Give Up forced the venue to go into lockdown, one parent said, to protect the children.

He said it was "scary" in the city centre, particularly knowing his daughter and other children were caught up in it.

He added that while protesters had since moved on and the lockdown lifted, the evening performance was in the balance and might not go ahead.

Another event, Summer Sounds at The Underground in the city centre ended early as a precaution.

One person who was involved with the event said it was after taking advice from the police.

Counter-protesters gathered outside Hanley Town Hall

On Saturday morning, the force had advised local people to stay indoors and if they needed to go out, not to do so alone.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Ellison said a large number of police officers would remain in Hanley on Saturday night.

“Violent disorder of any form is completely unacceptable and those who are responsible will be met with the full force of the law," he added.