Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in Liverpool and Sunderland for planned demonstrations after three girls were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
Large crowds have gathered in Sunderland bearing England flags and setting off flares as a march got under way shortly before 7pm. In Liverpool, around 200 anti-fascist counter demonstrators gouthered outside the Abdullah Quilliam Society mosque.
Police in the city have been granted enhanced powers to stop and search and extra officers deployed in a bid to clamp down on the scenes of violence witnessed in Southport, Hartlepool and London in recent days.
More than 50 police officers have been injured and dozens of protesters arrested in the riots so far.
