The schoolboy was involved in two riots in Rotherham on August 4 (Picture: Reuters)
A 12-year-old boy is facing jail after becoming one of the youngest rioters convicted following widespread unrest sparked by the Southport stabbings.
The schoolboy admitted violent disorder relating to his involvement in two riots in Rotherham. He handed out rocks to fellow yobs during one outside an asylum seeker hotel and then hurled stones at police at another on August 4. At Manchester Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Joanne Hirst said the boy had been ‘more involved in the violence and disorder than any other defendant I’ve seen’.
As of Monday, 975 people had been arrested and 546 charged with riot-related offences, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said. Despite tensions appearing to subside over the weekend, Downing Street says ministers will remain on ‘high alert’ over the violent disorder which swept across Britain.