Prosecutor says terrorism charges will be considered amid UK riots

Prosecutors and police have said terrorism charges will be considered after the riots.

Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said his teams will consider seeking the extradition of influencers allegedly playing a role in the riots across the UK.

He told the BBC that anybody involved in the violence should know they would face the most severe possible criminal charges, including terrorism.

Concerns have been raised over the social media activity of the founder of the technically defunct English Defence League (EDL) Tommy Robinson. He is currently in Cyprus. The High Court has issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to turn up in court last Monday.

Parkison said: “We are willing to look at terrorism offences. I'm aware of at least one instance where that is happening.

“Where you have organised groups planning activity for the purposes of advancing [an] ideology ... planning really, really serious disruption then yes, we will consider terrorism offences.”

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes said: “Counter Terrorism Policing is supporting forces across the UK in their response to the disgraceful disorder we have seen on our streets.

“This includes using our specialist capabilities to support the full range of police activity, including intelligence gathering and informing operational planning.

“We know that many people will feel vulnerable at this time, and we are supporting local forces with protective security expertise and advice.

“We have seen terrible examples of violent crime, disorder and criminal damage, and charges are already being brought across the country. I am very clear that using terrorism legislation or declaring activity as terrorism has not been, and will not be, ruled out.

“Counter Terrorism Policing is actively assessing incidents to understand whether terrorism legislation should be applied and we will make those judgements without fear or favour.

“Our message to those involved in this disorder is; we are watching and we will not hesitate to use our powers to protect our communities.”

As well as this, the former head of counter-terrorism policing between 2018 and 2021 Neil Basu told the BBC: “I think we have seen serious acts of violence designed to cause terror to a section of our community."