Police officers remain on high alert amid concerns unrest will continue this weekend.

The start of the football season has sparked fears of further unrest, with some newspapers reporting police are considering football banning orders after investigations suggested a link between rioters and football hooligan groups.

Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated that police should remain on “high alert” going into the weekend.

UK riots latest: Protests bring Belfast to ‘complete standstill’

“My message to the police and all of those that are charged with responding to disorder is maintain that high alert,” the prime minister said as he visited the Metropolitan Police’s special operations room in Lambeth on Friday.

Sir Keir said he was “convinced” having police officers on the streets and “the swift justice that has been dispensed in our courts” have had a “real impact” on deterring further unrest.

The disorder initially began in the wake of a mass stabbing attack in Southport that killed three young girls on 29 July, and injured several others.

Some 741 people have now been arrested over rioting, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), of which 302 have been charged.

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King praises ‘community spirit’ that countered riots

The King has praised the “community spirit” that countered the riots over the last week.

The monarch called for unity and offered his “heartfelt thanks” to the police for restoring order.

“In these calls, His Majesty was updated on the current situation and expressed his heartfelt thanks to the police and emergency services for all they are doing to restore peace in those areas that have been affected by violent disorder,” a Palace spokesperson said.

The King is also said to have “shared how he had been greatly encouraged by the many examples of community spirit that had countered the aggression and criminality from a few with the compassion and resilience of the many”.

The spokesperson added: “It remains His Majesty’s hope that shared values of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation.”

Disruption in Belfast

On Friday evening around a thousand people gathered for a counter-protest against several hundred anti-immigration demonstrators in Belfast.

A heavy police presence and barriers kept the two groups apart at Belfast City Hall.