@yahoouk: Volunteers in Southport are banding together after a night of right-wing rioting soured a vigil for three children killed in a mass stabbing. Dozens of residents gathered outside Southport mosque with brushes and shovels on Wednesday morning, after violent protests that saw 39 officers and three police dogs injured. Norman Wallis, chief executive of Southport Pleasureland, told the PA news agency that people had travelled from out of town to wreak havoc, leaving locals to clean up the mess. Shop owner Chanaka Balasuryla said the Southport community has rallied around him since his store was looted during the disorder on Tuesday night. Mr Balasuryla said he called 999 after spotting men trying to smash their way in on the CCTV camera from his home five minutes away. He said he was “terrified” when he thought they would set fire to the premises because there is a woman and her daughter living in a flat above. He said he later found out that the woman confronted the raiders, telling them it was her shop in an attempt to stop them. “I got a couple of hours’ sleep and then got a phone call saying ‘You need to come down, there’s lots of people waiting to help’,” Mr Balasuryla said. He added that local people had said they would defend his shop if necessary. “It was terrifying last night,” he said. “But I feel safe again because people are here to protect us.” Additional reporting by PA. #southport #uknews #communitynews #community #uk

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Wednesday 31 July 2024 15:49:01 GMT