Teenager involved in far-right riots avoids prosecution due to telling off he received from his parents

The telling off was 'more effective' than the justice system would be

Director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the telling off he received from his mum and dad was "more effective" than taking the teenager through the courts.

Almost 600 people have so far appeared in court in relation to the violence which swept the country earlier this year following the killing of three girls in Southport.

The riots targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers and were largely organised by the far-right.

The unrest was also fuelled by misinformation which claimed the attacker in Southport had been an asylum seekers who arrived in the UK by boat.

Parkinson told the PA News Agency that in the 14-year-old's case, his parents had marched him to the police station after seeing on social media that he was involved in the riots.

He compared this to others who had seen joining the violence as a "leisure activity," LBC reports.

A number of teenagers and youngsters have been charged in relation to the riots, the youngest of which was a 12-year-old who was charged with violent disorder earlier this month.

The boy pleaded guilty to the charge at Liverpool Youth Court, where it was heard that he had thrown two stones at police officers during unrest in Southport the day after the stabbing in the town.

He was handed a 12-month referral order and will be subject to a curfew between 21:00 and 07:00 each night for three months, the BBC reports.

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