Brick-hurling rioter started blaze and burgled shop

Police officers were attacked as they formed a protective cordon around the mosque

A man has admitted setting fire to a wheelie bin, hurling missiles at a mosque and looting a convenience store during rioting in Southport.

Jason Burns, from Crosby, Merseyside, admitted violent disorder and burglary during the disturbance in the town on 30 July.

Burns, who was described as “playing a leading role”, was seen throwing objects at Southport Islamic Society mosque on Sussex Road before attempting to destroy a wall outside the building with a large group of rioters.

He was scheduled appear before Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing on Friday.

Liverpool magistrates heard he had had his 18th birthday just two weeks before the disorder.

Videos circulated on social media also showed him throwing bricks at a car windscreen, setting a wheelie bin on fire, throwing bottles at police and pushing a car with a group towards police officers with riot shields.

After the crowd had dispersed from the mosque, Burns was then seen stealing items from the Windsor Mini Mart on Windsor Road, including bottles of alcohol.

About 1,000 people had gathered close to the mosque from about 19:00 BST, with large sections of the crowd engaging in anti-Muslim chants.

Police were then attacked as they formed a protective cordon around the building, and by 21:30 BST, 50 officers had been injured and damage costing £100,000 had been caused when a police vehicle was set alight.

In total - 129 people were arrested in connection with disorder in Merseyside over the summer, with 92 charged and 67 sentenced to a combined 145 years in prison.

The violence broke out in towns and cities around England following the Southport stabbings in which three young girls died.