Chris Page
BBC News Ireland correspondent

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said operational figures show that the number of reported race hate crimes in the last year may have risen by a third when compared to the previous 12 months.

That would amount to an increase of more than 400 incidents.

The PSNI has also said that the cost of policing street violence and racially motivated attacks in the last month has been £3.5m on top of normal operations.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said the investigation team was working through more than 3,500 hours of footage from CCTV and cameras worn by police officers.

Forty-five people have already been arrested and 35 have been charged.

On 29 July, Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were killed in a knife attack. Eight more children and two adults were injured.

Later that day, police said they had arrested a 17-year-old from a village nearby and that they were not treating the incident as terror-related.

Almost immediately after the attack, social media posts falsely speculated that the suspect was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a boat in 2023, with an incorrect name being widely circulated. In fact, the suspect was born in Wales.

The following evening, more than a thousand people attended a vigil for the victims in Southport. Later on, violence broke out in the town and developed into a riot.

The day after, violent protests broke out across England, which police linked to Southport and then took place throughout the week.

• You can read more about how the violence spread here

Image source, PA Media

Many of those who have been previously sentenced in relation to the unrest have been charged with violent disorder.

It it an offence under section 2 of the Public Order Act 1986, and the sentence can vary from a community order to a maximum of five years in custody depending on the circumstances.

In order for the defendant to be found guilty, the prosecution has to prove that three or more people, present together, use or threaten unlawful violence against a person or property, and that the group's behaviour would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety.

Image source, Northamptonshire Police

Yesterday, the wife of a Conservative councillor was warned she could receive a "substantial" prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to stirring up racial hatred against asylum seekers on social media.

Lucy Connolly, 41, a childminder whose husband serves on West Northamptonshire Council, will be sentenced next month.

Also in the courts yesterday:

• The sentencing of a 12-year-old boy for violent disorder was postponed because his mother was on holiday in Ibiza
• And the sentencing of a 15-year-old boy who admitted stealing from Lush and Greggs during riots in Hull was postponed

It will be another busy day for courts across England as rioters continue to face hearings and sentencings after the July and August disorder.

Here are five key cases we are expecting today:

1. Christopher Clayton will appear at a plea hearing in Sheffield today, accused of violent disorder and possession of offensive weapons including swords and knuckle dusters. He was allegedly involved in two riots - Liverpool and Rotherham
2. Barbara Barker from Manchester has a hearing today. She denies purchasing eggs for protesters to throw at police outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in the city on 31 July. She is charged with violent disorder
3. A 15-year-old boy is due to be sentenced for his involvement in a Bristol protest. He has pleaded guilty to violent disorder
4. Aimie Holliwell, 37 from Rugeley, has been charged with violent disorder and is due to appear in Stafford Crown Court court today
5. For his role in disorder in Whitehall in London, Jordan Rawlings, 25 and from Durham, will be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court. He admitted chanting racial slurs at a riot on 31 July, and was charged with using threatening words or behaviour that was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress that was racially aggravated

• As a reminder, under-18s are not normally named in court reports for legal reasons

Image source, PA Media

Welcome back to our live coverage, as more people are due in court over the riots which broke out in parts of the country, following the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport in July.

Yesterday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the disorder seen this summer was not protest, but "thuggery and crime".

Among today's cases are a teenager who will be sentenced for violent disorder in Bristol, and a 25-year-old man due to be sentenced in Teesside for his involvement in disorder in London's Whitehall.

There will also be a hearing of a 52-year-old woman who denies purchasing eggs and water to be thrown at police in Manchester.

We'll bring you live updates, so stay with us.

Image source, PA Media

We will be shortly bringing this live page to a close – but before we go, here’s a round-up of some of the key developments from today.

• Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has told the House of Commons that the disorder seen this summer was not a protest, but "thuggery, racism and crime" and says thousands more community officers will be put on the streets
• Lucy Connolly – wife of Conservative Councillor Raymond Connolly- has pleaded guilty to publishing a social media post which stirred up racial hatred against asylum seekers. She'll be sentenced next month, and was told she faces a "substantial" jail sentence by the judge
• The first person to be charged with riot after disorder in Sunderland - a 15-year-old-boy- has had his case moved to Crown Court, that hearing will take place either later this month or early October

• The sentencing of a 12-year-old boy for violent disorder had to be postponed as his mother is on holiday in Ibiza. The judge said she was "frankly astonished" and requested the mother’s presence at the new hearing date on 11 September
• And the sentencing of a 15-year-old boy who admitted stealing from Lush and Greggs during riots in Hull has also been postponed - he'll now be sentenced on 26 September

Today's page was brought to you by Imogen James, Soifa Ferreira Santos, Ben Hatton and Jamie Whitehead.

Outlining the government's next steps, Cooper says they will take forward "positive policing reform" to improve the police's co-ordination infrastructure .

She says she has asked His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue to work quickly with others to review the lessons from the summer's events to ensure strong co-ordination, intelligence systems are in place and there is sufficient public order policing for the future.

She also describes her party's plans to put "thousands more" community police on the streets, and says she has ordered a review of extremism.

The government will strengthen the requirements for social media companies to take responsibility for the "poison" on their platforms with the roll out of measures in the Online Safety Act, she adds.

She ends by saying the "minority of criminals and thugs" who caused havoc do not represent the country, and praises the positive response of communities.

Cooper says violent and criminal acts seen on the streets earlier in the summer were not protests but "thuggery, racism and crime".

Plenty of people across the country have strong views about crime, policing, immigration, asylum, the NHS and other things, she says, but they don't attack the police, loot or "set buildings alight knowing that other human beings are inside" - her voice growing more animated as she speaks.

No one should make excuses for such behaviour, she says.

Over 40,000 officer shifts were worked by public order officers in 10 days, she says, adding around 1,280 people have now been arrested, around 800 charges made, and over 570 people have been brought before the courts.

She says the "robust and swift response" of the government and criminal justice system provided a deterrent.

The home secretary is now addressing the House of Commons on the unrest seen across the country in July and August.

Stay with us and we'll keep you updated on what she says.

Two more men have been charged by Staffordshire Police as part of an ongoing investigation into violent disorder in Stoke-on-Trent.

James Watkins, 35, of Stoke-on-Trent, has been charged with violent disorder and assault by beating of an emergency worker.

He has been remanded in custody until 11 September when he is due to appear at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Marcus Ramsden, 22, of Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, has been charged with violent disorder and common assault of an emergency worker.

He has also been remanded in custody ahead of an expected appearance at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 9 September.

Staffordshire Police says it has now arrested 64 people and charged 25 as part of its investigation into disorder in Stoke-on-Trent on 3 August and in Tamworth on 4 August.

A 15-year-old boy from Sunderland has had his riot case sent to Newcastle Crown Court.

He was the first person to be charged with riot following the recent widespread disorder.

The boy has not entered a plea to the riot charge, but earlier admitted to a charge of violent disorder and burglary of a vape shop in Sunderland on 2 August.

The offence of riot can carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The boy, who cannot be identified due to his age, will now appear at the Crown Court alongside adults also charged with riot on either 13 September or 1 October.

The teenager was remanded into local authority accommodation ahead of the next hearing.

Dominic Casciani
Home and legal correspondent

The maximum sentence for incitement to racial hatred is seven years – and official sentencing guidelines say the most serious cases should typically lead to between two and six years in jail.

But come October’s hearing in Birmingham, the sentencing judge will go through quite a complex exercise to decide Connolly’s level of “culpability”.

If the judge concludes that she intended to incite serious violence, she would be in the highest category of offenders. That would mean a starting point for the calculation of at least three years.

The judge will then consider the “harm” caused by her message to “set fire” to hotels. If the judge concludes it endangered life, that would only reinforce the seriousness.

The Crown Prosecution Service says Connolly posted racist messages months before the Southport attacks, as well as after. This is also likely to be a key factor.

The judge will then reduce whatever sentence they provisionally have in mind to take into account Connolly’s admission.

It’s worth bearing in mind what happened to Tyler Kay who reposted Connolly’s words.

The 26-year-old Northampton man received 38 months - and he pleaded guilty as soon as he could, thereby receiving the maximum one third discount.

Given his crime would not have occurred had it not been for Connnolly’s words, and Connolly did not plead guilty at her first hearing, it is hard to see how she could receive a shorter term than him.

However, there may be something exceptional in her personal consequences that, when presented to the court by her lawyer, requires a degree of judicial mercy.

Three more men have been charged in relation to violent disorder in Southport and Liverpool.

• Sean Beech, 55, of Len Cox Walk, Manchester, has been charged with violent disorder, attempted section 18 assault and section 39 assault - he was remanded in custody to appear in court today
• Connah Piggott, 25, of Landsdown Road, Broughton, was charged with violent disorder and will appear in court later this week
• Anthony Buck, 52, of no fixed abode, was charged with violent disorder and was remanded to appear in court on Thursday

This brings the total number of people charged in the area to 56, according to Merseyside police, external.

Image source, PA Media

We can bring you some reaction now from Raymond Connolly, the Conservative councillor whose wife Lucy pleaded guilty to publishing a social media post stirring up racial hatred earlier today.

Speaking outside court, Raymond Connolly says the last few weeks have been "quite traumatic" for his wife and children, and he now feels "kind of relieved".

Connolly says his wife regrets making the post, which she deleted within two hours, and that she is "the opposite" of a racist.

She was an "upset housewife" posting about what transpired to be misinformation about the Southport stabbings, he says.

Connolly, a Conservative councillor in Northamptonshire, says he has received support from residents asking him not to resign and from fellow councillors, adding "it's not affected my role".

Image source, PA Media

The home secretary will make a statement to the House of Commons later today on the government's response to the disorder seen in July and August.

It's the first opportunity Yvette Cooper has had to address MPs and take their questions on the issue as today is the Commons' first day back after the summer recess.

The exact timing is not yet confirmed as it depends on the duration of earlier business in the Commons, but we're currently expecting the statement to begin around 17:15 BST.

We've been bringing you the latest from the courts today as more people are sentenced for their roles in recent disorder.

Unrest broke out following a knife attack in Southport on 29 July, where three young girls were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

Here’s a quick recap of what’s been happening so far today:

• Lucy Connolly - the wife of a Conservative councillor - has pleaded guilty to publishing a social media post which stirred up racial hatred. She'll be sentenced next month, the judge told her she faces a "substantial" jail sentence
• The sentencing of a 12-year-old boy, who was in court over two separate incidents, had to be postponed as his mother has gone to Ibiza. The judge said she was "frankly astonished" that this had happened
• The sentencing of a 15-year-old boy has also been postponed, he pleaded guilty to stealing from Lush and Greggs during riots in Hull - he'll now be sentenced on 26 September
• And in Southport, which was the first place to see disorder following the attack, a "walk of unity" organised by faith leaders and politicians has taken place in a show of solidarity against hatred

Stay with us and we'll keep you updated throughout the afternoon.

Image source, PA Media

Away from the courts, faith leaders and politicians in Southport have participated in a 'walk of unity' in a show of solidarity against hatred.

Organisers said they wanted to bring the community together after the violent disorder which followed the attack on 29 July.

The walk started at 12:00 BST at the mosque on Sussex Road, with participants heading through town, concluding with a meal at a synagogue.

It is being backed by Strengthening Faith Institutions, Together, The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Faiths Forum for London and the Ostro Fayre Share Foundation.

Organisers said the event served as a reminder that amid tragedy, the community in Southport was committed to creating a lasting legacy of connection across divides and to show it stood against hate and division.

Raymond Connolly, a Conservative councillor in West Northamptonshire, watched from the public gallery in court as his wife, Lucy Connolly, pleaded guilty to publishing threatening or abusive material intending to stir up racial hatred.

Connolly, a 41-year-old childminder of Parkfield Avenue, Northampton, entered her guilty plea via a video-link from Peterborough prison.

Connolly spoke only to enter her plea and confirm that she could hear the judge during the hearing, which lasted seven minutes.

Image source, PA Media

Judge Adrienne Lucking KC told Lucy Connolly she's likely to be sent to jail when she is sentenced next month.

The judge said the case was being transferred from Northampton to Birmingham to avoid any potential appearance of bias given Connolly's husband held a political post in the local area.

Judge Lucking said: "Sentencing will entirely be a matter for the judge on the next occasion but it's likely to be a substantial custodial sentence.

"In the meantime, you are remanded in custody."