Review as police liaison filmed telling group to ‘discard’ weapons in mosque

Force admits public confidence undermined by social media footage during anti-immigration protest

A police force has admitted public confidence was undermined after an officer was filmed telling counter-protesters to discard weapons at a mosque.
Staffordshire Police has launched a review after a protest liaison officer told a crowd gathered outside a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffs, to “discard” any weapons within the place of worship.
The officer was filmed in a video, which was live streamed on TikTok, addressing a crowd of men outside the Darul Falah mosque in Hanley, on Saturday as riots swept the country.
Counter-protesters had gathered as an anti-immigration protest took place in the city centre, later turning violent.
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In footage believed to be filmed after the counter protest, the liaison officer, wearing a blue police vest, addressed those attending and said the “EDL lot have gone home” and that they must dispose of any weapons.
Speaking through a loudspeaker, the liaison officer appears to say he would be “reassured that anything that goes on now we won’t need to make any arrests”.
“We will work with you guys for the best solution,” he said. “The EDL lot I’ve been assured have left.
“If there are any weapons or anything like that, then what I would do is discard them at the mosque.
“Don’t give anybody any reason to have any interaction with the police, so if there’s any weapons, get rid of them, we are not going to arrest anybody. You don’t want us to make arrests or start dispersing people. Is that alright?”
Stoke-on-Trent was one of a number of cities to see disorder on Saturday which has spread since the Southport killings a week ago when three girls died.
Violence erupted in the Midlands as the groups began to clash around the mosque.
Riot police were deployed to the scene in huge numbers and Staffordshire Police struggled to keep the groups apart as there were fights and missiles were hurled.
Police later said three officers were injured and 10 arrests have been made.
The force has appointed a senior investigating officer to carry out a post-incident investigation into the overall disorder, but on Monday addressed concerns about the footage of the liaison officer which has been widely shared on social media.
A spokesman for the force said: “We recognise that some footage shared on social media has gained traction and impacted on public confidence, particularly surrounding a protest liaison officer giving words of advice to a group in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday.
“We are actively reviewing this footage and all of the material available. We will address any lessons to be learned and assess whether the action taken was proportionate while we continue to reassure people in the local community.”
Two people have been charged with offences as part of the investigation into disorder in Stoke.
Jarrod Hollinshead, aged 26, has been charged with using threatening or abusive words and or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Lee Bodman, aged 52, has been charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker and breaching a criminal behaviour order.
They will appear at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre later this month.