Children scared after unrest, Rayner told

Angela Rayner (centre) met with community leaders including the city council leader, Jane Ashworth (left) and Lloyd Cooke, chief executive of charity Saltbox

Children are feeling scared in Stoke-on-Trent after recent unrest on the city's streets, community leaders have told the deputy prime minister.

Angela Rayner met with local MPs, community and faith leaders in Hanley on Tuesday after the disturbance earlier this month.

Ms Rayner said there were challenges in the city but praised “resilience” in the community after the meeting.

The disorder in Stoke-on-Trent and other parts of the UK followed the fatal stabbings of three girls in Southport.

Staffordshire Police said it had made several arrests and officers were searching for 11 men after violence in the county.

The meeting in Stoke-on-Trent was held by local charity Saltbox and came after a "peace rally" organised by the group last week.

Ms Rayner said afterwards: “This is the school holidays and community leaders said children are feeling scared to go out to holiday clubs.”

She added the government would “look forward to how we can fund and support efforts that are under way here”.

The deputy prime minister said the longer term plan was to build more housing and invest in public services.

Angela Rayner said the government would look at how it could help community efforts in Stoke-on-Trent

Jane Ashworth, Labour leader of the city council, was at the meeting and said people were pleased to be able to talk to "someone with such authority".

She added the scenes from earlier this month were an “absolute disgrace”.

“Some people have got some bad ideas and those ideas can only divide our city," Ms Ashworth said.

“We have to present as a united city and say no to the people who want to divide us.”

No easy answers - leader

“Those that threw missiles at the police are not people that represent Stoke-on-Trent," Ms Rayner added.

“We want to show the real side of Stoke-on-Trent which is that if you fell over on the street here, you’d have people around you within five minutes asking if you were OK.

"That’s the real essence of the community here."

Lloyd Cooke, chief executive of local charity Saltbox, said there were no easy answers and some of the issues "go back generations".

"There isn’t a sticking plaster which will make everything right overnight," he said.

“This will require investment both nationally and locally and people of goodwill to do their bit.”