Residents in Southport clean-up 'furious' at disorder

Community volunteers have been cleaning up after a night of violent disorder

Southport residents who gathered to clean up the destruction left by "thugs" have said violence was the "last thing" they wanted as the heartbroken community tries to grieve.

Dozens of people have been out clearing debris caused by the violent protests in the town on Tuesday - the day after a deadly knife attack in which three young girls were killed.

"Southport really doesn't need it after what we have gone through," said Marc Foreman, one of the volunteers in the clean-up operation.

Others residents in the Merseyside town said they were "absolutely furious" at the disorder caused by people who were "nothing to do with Southport".

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were killed in the knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed children's dance class on Hart Street.

Police have been granted more time to question a 17-year-old boy arrested over the deaths.

Unrest broke out hours after a vigil to honour the young victims, with the town's MP Patrick Hurley saying "thugs" travelled to the area to use the deaths "for their own political purposes".

More than 50 police officers were hurt on Tuesday

Merseyside Police Federation's Chris McGlade said more than 50 police officers were hurt in the "sustained and vicious attack".

The unrest, which centred around a mosque, saw bricks and other missiles thrown and cars set alight, including police vehicles.

Merseyside Police said the violence was believed to have involved a large group of English Defence League supporters.

"It was absolutely scary," said one woman involved in the clean-up.

"It was just horrendous and the noise was just incredible.

"Southport people are absolutely furious and that's why there are so many out here now helping."

Volunteers brought brushes and shovels to clean the Sussex Road and St Luke's Road area.

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• Community left numb by mass stabbing

• How it feels to report on a hometown tragedy

Beatrice was helping with the clean-up outside the mosque in Southport

Beatrice, 19, who was helping sweep up, said she wanted people's attention to be back on the victims.

"Some of the little girls, the impact’s been taken off them," she said.

"We want to get the clean-up done so it can be back on those girls and the families and their loss.

"A whole community’s come out. Hundreds of people have come here to help.

"It just shows we’re a diverse community. That’s what makes Southport, Southport."

Shopkeeper Chanaka Balasuryla said he was terrified his minimart would be set on fire

Shopkeeper Chanaka Balasuryla's store was looted during the riot.

He called 999 after watching men trying to smash their way inside via a CCTV feed to his home nearby.

He was "terrified" when he thought they would set fire to the minimart, as a mother lives above the premises with her daughter.

When he arrived at the store on Wednesday morning he discovered a "horrendous" scene where "everything was on the floor".

He believes looters stole more than £10,000 of stock, mainly cigarettes and alcohol.

Although Mr Balasuryla does not have insurance to cover the damage he said the community had rallied around in support

"I got a couple of hours' sleep and then got a phone call saying: 'You need to come down - there's lots of people waiting to help'."

Ibrahim Hussein said the targeting of the mosque was "terrifying"

Ibrahim Hussein, chairman of the Southport Mosque, told reporters he was moved to see locals turn up to help rebuild parts of the mosque damaged in the disorder.

"It brings tears to my eyes because although I know the people of Southport and I know how beautiful they are, but this was still a moving experience to see all that," he said.

"I'm feeling drained I don't know where that came from and why and what it's got to do with us," Mr Hussein said.

"This is a beautiful town, we've lived here for 30 years with no bother at all, we love the community."

Marc Foreman said Southport would be "recovering for a long time"

Mr Foreman, who is part of the Southport Hesketh Round Table charity, said the "best thing we can do is pull together as a community".

"The last thing we want is any more hassle, we're trying to grieve."

Another man, whose son is a police officer, broke down as he told BBC Radio Merseyside: "What does this have to do with those little girls?"

He said men in balaclavas had streamed towards the mosque.

Broken glass and a few tattered placards covered with handwritten slogans have been left scattered around the area.

People have been out with brushes to sweep up in the aftermath of the violence, with rubbish and debris being dumped from trucks into skips.

One man stood on a bridge watching the disorder from the night before said he saw people "intent on trouble".

"They were running through the back gardens pulling bricks off the walls," he said.

"It's just wrong, totally wrong, those police officers were trying to do a job, it's horrendous."