Police celebrate 'turning point' as mass arrests put off rioters

Senior police have described a "turning point" in the disorder seen across England in the past week, suggesting swift sentencing and a major public order operation acted as deterrents to far right-led agitators.

- Ben Quinn , Vikram Dodd

Thousands of anti-racist demonstrators gathered on Wednesday evening and created human shields to protect asylum centres, dwarfing a handful of anti-immigrant rallies.

But in a sign that unrest may continue, 5,000 public order officers will be on duty or on standby this weekend amid evidence of renewed plans by far-right activists to mobilise in cities across England and Wales.

"There are many potential events still being advertised and circulated online and those intent on violence and destruction have not gone away," said Gavin Stephens, the chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).

Stephens said would-be troublemakers had been "watching from the fringes" on Wednesday and probably made a judgment in some cases that there were too many officers.

He added: "They've certainly been deterred. They've certainly received a message from communities. But there's no complacency at all in our mind that we need to be prepared for the days and particularly the weekend ahead."

Stephens cited a range of factors for why he believed a "turning point" had been reached after a week of violence following the killing of three girls in the seaside town of Southport on Monday last week.