Burnham ‘struggling to comprehend’ the ‘dangerous’ Newton Heath riots last night

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham says he is ‘struggling to comprehend’ the ‘despicable’ violence which erupted in nearby Newton Heath last night (Wednesday) in the wake of the mass stabbings in Southport.

Some 40 people, including children and young men wearing balaclavas, gathered to protest outside a hotel in the north Manchester suburb at roughly 6pm yesterday.

The demonstration turned violent as they spilled into Oldham Road and pelted police with bottles.

This morning the Greater Manchester mayor appeared on BBC Radio Manchester to call for calm in the wake of the violence - believing the city-region is facing ‘a dangerous moment’.

“I am struggling to comprehend what happened last night,” he told the In The Hotseat phone-in.

“There’s a situation where people are rushing to judgement without the facts. No one knows the full story.

“It’s a despicable criminal act.

"I think we are in a dangerous moment. People need to step back.

“Greater Manchester is better than this… a random gathering attacking police and people with nothing to do with the situation [in Southport].”

In a statement, GMP said: “Due to the early intervention from our officers this criminal behaviour thankfully didn’t cause any serious injury or damage.

"Two men aged 18 and 25 were later arrested for violent disorder and assault of an emergency worker and remain in custody at this time for questioning.”

Burnham’s comments come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with police chiefs later today to offer them the government’s ‘full backing’.

He’s expected to reinforce the need to deal with criminals who ‘exploit the right to protest to sow hatred and carry out violent acts’, and to work with police forces across the UK to ‘stop mindless violence’ erupting on streets.

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