Northern Ireland’s top police officer slams ‘lies, misinformation and absolute nonsense’ spread online about Southport attack as Stormont politicians are recalled from their summer break due to riots crisis

Northern Ireland‘s top police officer today blamed ‘lies, misinformation and absolute nonsense spread online’ about the Southport attack for the UK’s riots crisis.

Jon Boutcher, chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), vowed those causing chaos on the streets would be ‘pursued with the full force of the law’.

Some 16 people have been arrested so far in Northern Ireland amid violent disorder in the wake of the killing of three girls in the Southport stabbings.

Mr Boutcher revealed that 11 people have been charged and are in custody, while he said more arrests would come.

He spoke following a meeting of top politicians at Stormont, ahead of the emergency recall of the Northern Ireland Assembly from its summer break.

MLAs returned from their summer recess to take part in a special sitting at noon.

Stormont’s executive ministers met prior to the Assembly’s special sitting to discuss the recent violent disorder on the streets of Belfast.

Police and members of the public have been attacked and two businesses owned by people from a minority ethnic background have been destroyed in south Belfast. 

There have also been incidents in north and west Belfast and there was further disorder on Wednesday night, with police coming under attack in east Belfast.

Following the Executive meeting, First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, and Mr Boutcher, stood shoulder to shoulder to speak to media.

Mr Boutcher said: ‘The PSNI will deal with this disorder. Those people who have come out to commit these hateful crimes will be pursued with the full force of the law.

‘We have arrested 16 people thus far, 11 have been charged and in custody.

‘As we speak, we are going to addresses to arrest people for the disorder on Saturday night.

‘We will be putting out images today of others that we have yet to identify who committed these crimes. There is no place in society for this.

‘I have met the leadership of the Muslim communities, but all our migrant communities, all our diverse communities feel under threat.

‘They feel a fear of the like I have not seen in over 40 years of policing. That’s not just here, that’s across the country. This has got to stop and we will stop it.

‘Think of those communities, support those communities. Everyone in Northern Ireland needs to do that.

‘This is one of the safest places to live in the United Kingdom. It’s one of the greatest places to live in the United Kingdom.’

Ms O’Neill said ministers are ‘unequivocally collective in our determination to say no to racism, and stand firmly united in terms of what we see unfolding in front of us’.

‘There is no place in our society for racism in any of its forms,’ she added.

‘The racist attacks on people, on businesses and homes are absolutely wrong, and have created such a deep fear.

‘A fear that I think perhaps none of us have ever seen before among many parts of our community.

‘There are many people feeling extremely vulnerable, feeling fearful, fearful for their families.‘

As the Northern Ireland Assembly met, MLAs debated a motion condemning ‘criminal damage and targeting of businesses in recent days’.

The motion also calls on Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly to finalise the draft refugee integration strategy and associated delivery plan, to bring forward the renewed Race Relations Order, and set out the process of replacing the racial equality strategy 2015-25 by the end of 2024.