Southport MP backs report on child rioters

Southport's MP has endorsed a report by the children's commissioner for England that found children who rioted after the murder of three girls in the town were not motivated by far right ideologies.

Patrick Hurley, who was elected three weeks before Axel Rudakubana's knife attack, said he agreed with the "broad thrust" of the report by Dame Rachel de Souza.

But he discounted her call for judges to have the power to wipe criminal records clean where young people had "done their time for some very silly things".

Widespread disorder broke out in towns and cities across England in the days and weeks following the Southport attack.

Dame Rachel's report was born out her desire to find out directly from young people why they got involved, her spokeswoman said.

It found children who participated in riots were primarily driven by curiosity and the "thrill of the moment" and were in come cases encouraged by adults.

Mr Hurley said he thought it was significant the riots took place "early in the school holidays when these young people had nothing to do".

He also pointed to cuts to council youth services and youth organisations, which he said meant a lack of "activity and outlets" especially for large groups of young boys aged 14 and over.

The MP agreed with Dame Rachel's distrust in the police and her feeling that a lack of opportunities were also behind some children's actions.

However, he rejected her suggestion that criminal records for those convicted of less serious offences should be erased.

"I do not think the framework for juvenile justice should be changed," he said.

The commissioner's findings came a week after Rudakubana admitted murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe.

He was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years for the "meticulously planned rampage" in which 10 other people, mostly children, were also stabbed on 29 July last year.

False online rumours spread online hours after the attack that the perpetrator had been a migrant, and a violent protest took place close to the scene the following day.

Riots, in which mosques and hotels housing migrants were attacked, soon spread around the country.

Father John Heneghan, who led the funeral service for Alice da Silva Aguiar, said the disorder "felt like an alien invasion" but only a minority of people actually became involved.

He added: "Most people, young and old, are good and want to do the right thing in a tragedy like we experienced."

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