Judges have begun handing down prison sentences that the British government hopes will help end days of far-right violence across England, as businesses closed early on Wednesday over fears of more riots.

Derek Drummond (58), from Southport, who punched a police officer in the face and was part of a crowd that made racist chants outside a Southport mosque last week, was jailed for three years at Liverpool crown court on Wednesday.

In the same fast-tracked hearing, two other men – Liam Riley (40) and Declan Geiran (29) – received prison terms of 20 months and 30 months, respectively, for their involvement in violence last week in Liverpool.

Prosecutors said the jail terms for the trio, who appeared together in the dock at the first big sentencing hearing following the unrest that has swept the country, were the “tip of the iceberg”.

More than 400 people have so far been arrested, and over 100 charged, as ministers promised “swift justice” for anyone taking part in disorder.

One case of alleged terrorism is “actively under consideration” following widespread disorder across the country, director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson has said.

The sentences came as pubs, theatres, offices and shops in parts of the UK, particularly those that experienced serious unrest at the weekend, closed early ahead of more potential disturbance on Wednesday.

Thousands of extra police officers have been deployed and the government has urged calm after a countrywide list of potential targets for far-right activists, including residential addresses, was shared widely online.

Prime minister Keir Starmer has said the sites will receive extra police protection and that the sentences passed on Wednesday were evidence of the “swift action” that authorities were taking against the rioters.

In Sunderland, which saw riots on Friday, the Empire theatre cancelled its shows for Wednesday evening, while pubs in Middlesbrough city centre, which witnessed unrest on Sunday, closed their doors early. Pubs, bars and shops in Newcastle and Brighton, which have yet to experience any significant disorder, also shut.

In Walthamstow in London – one of the areas on the target list – doctors’ surgeries and businesses including pubs, gyms and shops either shut or did not open.

University campuses in Sunderland and Middlesbrough also closed early.

Retailers held emergency talks about the riots with police and government officials to share intelligence and advice earlier on Wednesday, while banks, media businesses and professional services firms have advised staff in specific areas to work from home.

Grant Thornton, which has 21 offices across the country, said it had closed premises and asked staff to work remotely in areas where it had been “advised that there was a high likelihood of protests” and potential “violent disorder”.

Police forces and metro mayors also issued messages of assurance to their communities.

In Greater Manchester, which experienced two violent flashpoints last weekend, police said the force was “heavily resourced” with specialist staff working around the clock.

“People living safely and peacefully, do not deserve to be frightened,” it added. “We are here to protect you, and we will use all resources and capabilities to do so.”

The Crown Prosecution Service said its officials were working “flat out” to bring more cases and pledged that many others found to have taken part in riots would be “sent to prison for a long time”.

Government ministers hope tough sentences will help dissuade would-be rioters.

Handing down the sentences on Wednesday, Judge Andrew Menary KC said: “Those who deliberately participate in such disorder, causing injury, damage and fear to communities, will inevitably be punished with sentences designed to deter others from similar activity.”

Community grief after three girls were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport had been “effectively hijacked”, and misinformation relating to the incident used as “a pretext for widespread public disorder”, he added.

Prosecutor Christopher Taylor told the court that Drummond had been among about 1,000 individuals involved in disorder outside the mosque in Southport, which lasted several hours.

Drummond handed himself in to police and recognised he had been a “fool”. He pleaded guilty to charges of violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker.

Judge Menary said he had given credit for an early guilty plea, but noted Drummond was present at “a fairly early stage” and took part in the disorder “willingly and enthusiastically”.

Senior district crown prosecutor Jonathan Egan said: “Let today’s result serve as a warning to all those who carry out criminality on our streets – you will always suffer the consequences.” – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024