Chief Superintendent Mark Hall is now speaking. He says officers witnessed "shocking" and "appalling" scenes last night.

He says there was "unforgiveable" violence and four officers were taken to hospital after "sustained violence".

Police and community leaders are now holding a press conference about the unrest in Sunderland.

Chief Superintendent Mark Hall, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth, Sunderland City Council deputy leader Kelly Chequer and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness will answer questions.

Stay with us as we bring you the key lines.

Image source, PA Media

Priti Patel says parliament should be recalled immediately in the wake of recent protests.

In a post on X, external, the former home secretary says what happened in Sunderland last night was "totally unacceptable" - as were the riots in Southport on Tuesday, and in Harehills in Leeds more than two weeks ago.

"Now is a moment for national reflection and solidarity, to pull back from the wave of violence we have seen, to call it out for what it is, without fear or favour - and for Parliament to speak with one voice in condemnation," Patel writes.

"We either believe in the rule of law, or we do not. That is why Parliament must be recalled immediately," she adds.

Image source, PA Media

The home secretary says "criminals attacking the police and stoking disorder" will "pay the price for their violence and thuggery."

In a post on X, external, Yvette Cooper writes: "The police have the full backing of Government to take the strongest possible action and ensure they face the full force of the law. They do not represent Britain."

Julie Cush
BBC News

A clean-up operation is under way after a night of violence in Sunderland during which three police officers were injured and eight people arrested.

Volunteers joined council staff in the city centre this morning.

During the unrest, the window of Sunderland Central Police Office was smashed in and insulation pulled down.

The neighbouring Citizens Advice branch was set on fire.

Locals say the air was still filled with smoke this morning.

• You can read more reaction to the unrest here

Image source, Reuters

More now from the Mayor of the North East Kim McGuinness, who earlier told BBC Breakfast about the extent of the damage rioters had caused.

Now, she tells BBC Radio's 5 Live programme that she's "shocked and appalled" by the unrest in the city.

"These people are violent thugs who used other people’s grief and misery as an excuse to riot on their own streets," she says.

"It is completely unacceptable, and I hope they face the full force of the law.

"We won’t stand for crime and violence; police should not have to stand in the way of this type of violence," she says.

She adds that "they are organised by far-right groups online” and that "we have to push social media companies to be better".

As BBC News Home Editor Mark Easton said earlier, well-known figures of far-right groups were in Sunderland - but so too were families, including very small children. Scroll down to our previous post for more.

Mark Easton
BBC Home Editor, in Sunderland

Image source, Getty Images

Last night, a large group of youths looted and smashed shops in the town centre, and on the high street too.

It was a strange scene because you had members of the hard right hurling bricks at the police, then families all wearing England tops cheering them along.

I saw babies in pushchairs, very small children on the march, and scores of teenagers, young boys and girls, all dressed up to their nines, out on a Friday, just looking for a bit of excitement.

There was some well-known figures from far-right groups in attendance too.

Youngsters in balaclavas were coordinated, gathering missiles to throw at police officers.

We've been hearing from the Mayor of the North East, Kim McGuinness, this morning about the violence in Sunderland.

She said rioters have caused "significant damage" to the city.

"They've set fire to a police station, to cars, they've looted shops, they've abused people in the street, they've attacked police officers and Sunderland will be feeling the effect of that," she told BBC Breakfast.

"These people do need to be dealt with the full force of the law - you cannot use other people's grief to commit crime and violence."

Image source, Getty Images

The day before violence erupted in Sunderland, the prime minister announced a “national capability” across police forces would be established to tackle violent disorder.

In a statement on Thursday, external, Sir Keir Starmer said "these thugs are mobile, they move from community to community, and we must have a police response that can do the same".

"It’s not protest. It’s not legitimate. It’s crime," he added.

The PM held a crisis meeting with police chiefs following violent protests in the wake of the Southport knife attack on Monday, which killed three girls.

The new powers would include shared intelligence and wider deployment of facial recognition technology.

Starmer said it would also include more criminal behaviour orders to "restrict" movement and stop people travelling - "in just the same way we do with football hooligans".

Northumbria Police have condemned the "disorder, violence and damage" in Sunderland on Friday.

The force says three injured officers were taken to hospital after they were met with "sustained levels of violence".

One of the officers has been discharged while the other two remain in hospital.

Eight people have been arrested for offences ranging from violent disorder to burglary, the force says.

Police are urging anyone "planning to involve themselves in disorder" to "stay at home".

We're starting live coverage following violence in Sunderland last night.

A police building was ransacked and a Citizens Advice premises next door was set alight, with eight arrests made by authorities.

Northumbria Police says three officers were injured and needed hospital treatment amid the "serious and sustained levels of violence".

Beer cans and bricks were thrown at riot police outside a mosque and cars were set on fire during the disorder.

Some members of the crowd could be heard shouting Islamophobic slurs and chanting in support of far-right activist Tommy Robsinson.

It comes after other incidents of unrest across England since Monday, which have been linked to far-right groups.

Image source, Getty Images