Courts will sit for 24 hours in bid to stamp out far-right violence

Ministers met with senior members of the judiciary for emergency talks on Saturday

Courts will reportedly sit for 24-hours a day in the wake of far-right violence sweeping across the country.

Ministers met with senior members of the judiciary for emergency talks on Saturday as the far-right clashed with police and counter-protesters in major UK cities and towns.

Violence broke out between groups in places such as Sunderland, Manchester, Stoke and Hull as shocking footage showed people throwing bricks at police in Liverpool, where two officers were hospitalised, one with a suspected broken jaw and another with a broken nose.

Officials at the Ministry of Justice are now understood to be in discussions with the judiciary, police chiefs and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), about magistrates’ courts sitting for 24 hours to deal with a surge of arrests, The Telegraph reported.

Violence broke out between groups in cities and towns such as Sunderland, Manchester, Leeds, Stoke, Hull (Getty Images)

The paper said this would involve triggering the Additional Courts Protocol, which would have to be agreed on by the judiciary. Requests for more court slots and extended hours must be made in agreement with the relevant Chief Officer of Police and Chief Crown Prosecutor.

The protocol was previously used following the 2011 London riots which saw courts sit for 24 hours to process those in custody.

Saturday marked another day of rioting thought to have been sparked by misinformation around the killing of three girls in Southport on Monday.

Saturday marked another day of rioting thought to have been sparked by misinformation around the killing of three girls in Southport on Monday.

In Liverpool, far-right thugs pelted officers with bricks and bottles who in return used tear gas as they struggled to keep apart protesters and counter-protesters.

Merseyside Police said a number of officers were injured during the confrontations and condemned the “despicable behaviour”.

Bricks were thrown at officers in Stoke-on-Trent, fireworks were thrown in exchanges between an anti-Islamic group and an anti-racism rally in Belfast and windows of a hotel which has been used to house migrants were smashed in Hull.

A man throws a brick during a protest in Liverpool (James Speakman/PA) (PA Wire)

Scuffles broke out as opposing groups faced each other in Nottingham, with bottles thrown from both sides, and chants of “England ’til I die” and “Tommy Robinson” drowned out by boos from the anti-racism counter-protesters

Home secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the “thuggery” and “criminal disorder” that has followed in the wake of the tragic Southport stabbings, warning that anyone involved in the ongoing violence “will pay the price”.

“Criminal violence and disorder has no place on Britain’s streets,” she said on Saturday afternoon following the clashes.

Ms Cooper said perpetrators face arrests, prosecution, financial penalties, imprisonment and travel bans to ensure that communities can feel safe.

(Jacob King/PA Wire)

However, police have warned that more disorder is likely in the coming days. Chief Constable BJ Harrington, who speaks on public order for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said in a statement: “This week we have seen appalling behaviour that in no way shows compassion or respect for the little girls who were killed and injured last week. It shows no respect for our communities, and it will be stopped.

“We know people will try and do this again in the coming days and policing has been and will continue to be ready.

He added that there are 130 extra units in place across the country, meaning almost 4,000 extra public order-trained officers to deploy.