Far-right use of Christian symbols an 'offence to our faith', says Welby

Archbishop condemns racist and anti-Muslim’ rioters

- Eleni Courea

The archbishop of Canterbury has warned Christians that they should not be part of any far-right groups, criticising the use of Christian imagery in this summer's riots "an offence to our faith". Writing in the Guardian, Justin Welby condemned the violent unrest, which he described as "racist", "anti-Muslim, anti-refugee and anti-asylum seeker". His intervention follows a week of disorder that began after a mass stabbing of children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last month.

The unrest, during which rioters attacked mosques, police officers and a hotel housing asylum seekers, was whipped up by far-right activists online who falsely claimed that a Muslim immigrant was behind the Southport attack.

Police across the country remain on high alert for further violence.

Keir Starmer cancelled a planned holiday this weekend to lead the response to the unrest. Ministers believe the increased police presence and the speedy prosecution and sentencing of rioters have acted as a deterrent. More people are due to appear in court today.

Thousands of anti-racism protesters rallied in towns and cities, including Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow and London at the weekend. Hundreds of mourners gathered yesterday for the funeral of Alice da Silva Aguiar, one of three children killed in Southport.

The archbishop said the riots had been "detonated by lies and fuelled by deliberate misinformation, spread quickly online by bad actors with malignant motivations".

Disinformation had "flourished in fertile ground cultivated by years of rhetoric from some of our press and politicians".