'The influence of the far-right in the North West is always concerning'

The far-right became "much more confident in their anti-migrant campaigning" after the Suites Hotel protests and police had "extreme concerns". The event on February 10 last year saw crowds of between 250 and 300 people gather in protest against the temporary housing of asylum seekers inside the hotel in . What was initially a peaceful protest turned violent with police officers hit with fireworks, bricks and bottles and a Matrix van smashed up and set on fire. Following the sentencing of - none of whom had any connections to far-right groups - Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald told that the potential for a swell in far-right activism following the disorder caused "extreme concern" for . He added the force put a specialist response in place but, despite a small rise in hate crime in the area, the police have not seen a repeat of the ugly scenes. The Suites Hotel, located near the East Lancashire Road, was first publicised by Britain First on January 23, 2023, when the group posted on messaging service Telegram that the hotel was "a large accommodation filled with working-age illegal immigrant men". The post added: "When our team visited the hotel, they could find no Women or children anywhere." In the following weeks the white nationalist group Patriotic Alternative, including member J , visited the area and posted leaflets which said: "5 star hotels for migrants whilst Brits freeze". But the tensions escalated when a video, which allegedly showed an asylum seeker staying at the hotel "asking a 15-year-old for her phone number and a kiss", was circulated on social media. Detective Constable Dave Williams, who led the case, told the trial in January this year that "the incident was brought to the attention of the police, it was investigated, and unfortunately a decision was made via the CPS that no crime had been committed at that point". News of the demonstration was amplified by the "Hotels Housing Illegals" page and spread across Social Media networks, reported the . During the opening of a trial for a number of the defendants in January this year, prosecutor Martyn Walsh said the police also received reports "which stated that members of the English Defence League were going to attend" the hotel. Anti-fascists called a counter-protest and formed a protective barrier around the hotel. One protester told the PA news agency he had seen the allegations "on TikTok and online". Alan Marsden, 59, who attended the protest after reading about it online, said women and children initially made up a significant portion of the crowd but the character of the event changed when "kids with masks and balaclavas on turned up". confirmed in the days after the disorder hat "a number of people, who were not part of the original protest group" arrived after the start of the demonstration, and added: “They turned up armed with hammers and fireworks to cause as much trouble as they could and their actions could have resulted in members of the public and police officers being seriously injured, or worse." Speaking to from following the sentencing, DCI Fitzgerald said: "The EDL and far-right influence was all investigated in terms of what was posted online and how the event was organised. We continue to review the information and we will respond to what comes to light. The influence of the far-right in the North West is always concerning. "We continue to monitor all the information about these groups, it's always under review. Leaflets were posted and were brought to our attention and if any offences are committed from documentation then we will prosecute those responsible. At the time there were extreme concerns [about the far-right]. "We put a police response in place but fortunately we haven't seen anything else like that in Merseyside. We have worked hard with partners in Knowsley and on Merseyside to ease the community tensions and ensure we don't see a repeat of the scenes seen outside the Suites Hotel." DCI Fitzgerald added the force saw a small rise in hate-related incidents in the weeks following February 10. This seemed to match with reports on last year, which included when Knowsley MP Sir George Howarth told the House of Commons that asylum seekers were "unsafe" and had been . Knowsley Community Policing Superintendent Karl Baldwin confirmed to the ECHO in March 2023 . He said: "Violence, threats and harassment targeting anyone will not be tolerated and are completely inexcusable. "For residents and staff connected to the premises to be targeted is despicable, and we will continue to work closely with the premises, as well as our partners, residents and communities to ensure all information is acted upon." During the sentencing, which took place across two days on March 15 and 18, Judge Denis Watson KC acknowledged the defendants were not organisers or members of the English Defence League but had contributed to "sustained and extremely hostile" mob violence. However, during the protests a number of those convicted of violent disorder used anti-migrant language. Christopher Shelley, who failed to attend the sentencing and is currently wanted after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, shouted . Co-defendant Chris Tippler also shouted: "There is no black on the Union Jack, send the f****ers back." Brian McPadden, who was described in court as the "appointed frontman", was caught on police body-worn camera footage pointing at the hotel saying: "They better not leave that place in the next few days or they will be dead." David Lawrence, senior researcher at , told last week "In the run up to the riot at the Suites Hotel, far-right activists had been in Kirkby delivering leaflets about asylum hotels and taking publicity shots. We know that there were far-right activists at the riot, including James Costello from Patriotic Alternative. The riot was widely praised or justified by the far-right, including from Patriotic Alternative and Britain First. "While . This included the kind of rhetoric used in the leaflets that were delivered in the area in the run up to the riot." When sentencing on Monday, March 18, Judge Watson said: "The violence which was directed at asylum seekers was racially aggravated. They are a vulnerable minority group and are entitled to look to the courts for protection." A number of the public gallery were removed from proceedings for disagreeing with the judge's comments. One man was led away by a police officer after he was heard to say: "I’ve never heard as many lies in the court in my life. Liar, chatting s***." Another woman walked out at one stage and said: "F***ing lies. It's all lies." Continuing, Judge Watson said: "Without a single piece of evidence to support it, a grotesquely distorted and false narrative gained traction. That all of those housed at the hotel were rapists and the police were protecting sex offenders and so were just as bad as sex offenders. "Some wanted to protest loudly but not violently. However, a substantial number were there to indulge in threats, abuse and violence. There followed some four hours of widespread and serious public disorder. "Many began to act aggressively and violently. The 40 or 50 police officers present were in danger of being overwhelmed by what had become an angry and violent mob. "This was . It resulted in three officers being injured. Parts of major roads such as the M57 motorway had to be closed for several hours. There was serious disruption to the community. "Only the resilience and determination of police officers prevented the mob from being able to enter the hotel where the asylum seekers were housed. The events of that evening brought shame to the town of Kirkby and to Merseyside generally." DCI Fitzgerald told the ECHO has worked with various partners to stoke tensions in the area since the protest. He said: "We have worked with and lots of residents in Kirkby, as well as volunteer and community groups, to get their viewpoints to relay information to them. "A lot of high visibility policing has gone on in the area and fortunately we have built better community relations and we haven't seen a repeat of the disorder." A , released on March 20, said: "Those involved in the disorder equated to a small minority of people, who did not represent Knowsley and its residents, and these individuals have now been prosecuted. "Following the incident, a large amount of misinformation was circulated online, which fuelled further feelings of unsafety across the borough. Knowsley Council and its partners worked tirelessly to reassure the community and ensure that people had access to factual information to allay any concerns." In response to the report, Knowsley Council leader Cllr Graham Morgan said: "There has been some great work in recent years in terms of the community cohesion in Knowsley. But there's still lessons to learn and further opportunities to identify solutions to hate crime and its consequences. This is a key priority for not only the council but for all public sector organisations working in Knowsley." DCI Fitzgerald also repeated calls for people to take more care with social media and the threat of misinformation. He said: "Please be careful about what you are posting on social media and what you are reading. Social media is largely unregulated and people can post what they like. Please get your information through official channels like the media or Merseyside Police. This event shows the dangers of spreading misinformation and how it can escalate to violence." - told the ECHO they, like the police, have not seen a rise in far-right activity in the North West that can be attributed to the disorder outside the Suites Hotel. But the group added the disorder emboldened far-right protesters across the country. "In the aftermath, the organised far-right attempted to capitalise and became much more confident in their anti migrant campaigning," Mr Lawrence said. "There was an uptick in protests across the country, many of which attempted to exploit the same kind of local anger that fed into the events in Kirkby. "Far-right anti-migrant activity rose by 20% in 2023, with much of this activity focused on demonstrations. The organised far-right continues to seek to capitalise on local anti-migrant campaigns and to use this issue to infiltrate communities." One of the many local groups in Merseyside who supported asylum seekers after the protests was the Big Help Project. Following the sentencing, a spokesperson for the group said: "The way that residents at the Suites Hotel were treated, both at the time of the incident last year and in its aftermath, is abhorrent. "We hope that this sentencing can finally draw a line under such a disgraceful incident, allowing the surrounding communities to live in peace and charities to provide help where needed without obstacles. Merseyside has long been a very accepting place. "Hatred has no place here and should not be allowed to take root, particularly when targeting such vulnerable groups attempting to rebuild their lives with the limited resources given to them. Whatever we feel we have done to support these communities, we have to do more. We urge local leaders to do the same." for a combined 18 years and three months earlier this week. Tippler, of St Kevin's Drive, Kirkby; McPadden, of Britonside Avenue, Kirkby; Thomas Mills, of Park Brow Drive, Kirkby; Paul Lafferty, of Quarry Green, Kirkby; Warren Cullen, of James Holt Avenue, Kirkby; Liam Jones, of Birkin Close, Kirkby and Jonjo O'Donoghue, of Stanley Street, were all jailed. Harry Boynton, of Sherdley Walk, Kirkby received a suspended sentence, while Shelley, of Delfby Crescent, Kirkby, will be sentenced upon his arrest.