Shops looted, library torched and dad's fears for children as rioting rocks Liverpool
Video report by Granada Reports' journalist, Emma Sweeney
Rioters descended on Liverpool, on Saturday, causing major damage in what police said was "serious violent disorder".
The chaos started when people began to assemble near County Road Mosque on Walton street at around 8.30pm.
Far-right social media channels had called for people to gather there during the evening.
At one stage a dad pleaded with masked thugs not to burn a terraced shop so his children were safe, but a nearby library was set alight as looters targeted businesses.Police were quick to put up a wall of officers in riot gear, protecting the building from masked yobs who began to violently attack police.
Bricks and stones were soon thrown at officers, launched from a distance as upwards of 15 riot vans were deployed to the scene from various police forces including Lancashire and North Wales Police.
After an hour, people began to work their way around the police barricade, with a large group targeting police close to a branch of KFC.
As bricks continued to be hurled at officers holding riot shields, fireworks were passed around people gathered, who fired them towards police while bins were regularly set on fire in an apparent bid to block the road.
The rioters were pushed back by police who rushed them at one stage, but officers were put on the back foot when larger fireworks were used.
The masked rioters were pinned back to Home Bargains where they turned their sights on local businesses.
First was a shop, where a dad pleaded with looters from his window not to torch the building as children were upstairs, and then the Spellow Library and Community Hub, where glass was smashed and a blaze quickly lit. Flames were visible inside the building within minutes.
Five communal bins were laid across the floor and set alight, and as the fire in the library grew police pushed the rioters back - several then proceeded to continue looting local shops.
By the time Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service reappeared at the scene, police were forced to use four riot vans, driving into the crowd to disperse them before police armed with riot shields ran at them, pushing them beyond the junction of Hale Road.
By this time the clock had reached 11.35pm.Using a signpost ripped from the ground outside Home Bargains, looters pulled shutters up before stealing alcohol, cigarettes and vapes, sharing them out among themselves.
At 10.24 pm police released a statement which said: "We can confirm there is a significant police presence on County Road in Walton as a result of people being involved in serious violent disorder this evening (Friday, 2 August).
"Officers were deployed to the area following information about a planned disorder close to a mosque."A Section 60 order is in place across Liverpool this evening, until 8.40pm on Sunday, giving officers extra powers to stop and search people suspected of carrying weapons or planning criminality.
Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said: “The people who have brought such aggression and destruction into the heart of our communities do not represent the people of Merseyside, and they certainly do not honour the memory of those three young girls whose lives were taken so tragically on Monday.“They have instead attacked and in many cases caused serious injury to police officers who come to work every day to protect the public.
"They have brought fear into residential streets, targeted local businesses providing a vital service to our communities, and damaged personal property and infrastructure in the city.“This is disgraceful and people who live, work and visit Merseyside do not want it to continue, and we will not tolerate it.
"A number of those involved this evening were youths and we are urging parents and guardians to make sure they know where their children are, to protect them and others from harm.“If you have any information about this incident or if you know of anyone involved, I would urge you to contact us so we can bring those responsible to justice.”