Police 'not kept up with social media risks'

POLICE forces across the country are "ill-equipped" to deal with online content, particularly during disorder like that seen up and down England last year, a report has found.

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The second part of a damning review into policing following the widespread disorder in the UK in the aftermath of the Southport murders has now been published.

The Tranche 2 report from the Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services Sir Andy Cooke looked at how police managed intelligence, online content and the investigations into the disorder.

Looking at the cause of the disorder, which included riots in Southport on July 30, a day after the attack, and on County Road in Walton days later, the report stated how it was "extremely complex" when taking all evidence into account.

Sir Andy continued to state how it isn't possible to attribute the cause of the disorder to one single factor. The report said how politicians and news outlets said the disorder "was the result of well organised and co-ordinated action by extremist groups".

The report said: "However, we found that the causal factors were more complex than were initially evident. Some of the main reasons for the widespread disorder were social deprivation, austerity and the economic downturn, political policies and decisions on migration and asylum and decreasing trust and confidence in policing.

"What is clear, in common with the recent policing history of disorder, is that an unprecedented event triggered the initial disorder.