By Shannon Mcguigan
Published: | Updated:
Police have launched an investigation to find the thug who punched a lone Asian man as he walked along a street in Hartlepool last night.
Hartlepool erupted into violence for the second night yesterday as anger continues to grow over the Southport stabbing which claimed the lives of three young girls.
As angry mobs descended on the seaside town, footage livestreamed on TikTok surfaced of a young man believed to be of black or ethnic origin being punched.
In what appeared to be a racially motivated assault, the young man could be seen walking on Lowthian Road in Hartlepool.
As the lone walker approached the end of the street to turn the corner, an unidentified yob struck him in the face causing him to stumble a couple of steps backwards.
A lone Asian man was punched in the face by a thug in Hartlepool as he walked down the street as violence ensued for a second night as anger grows after the Southport stabbing, which claimed the lives of three young girls
The crowd can be heard yelling racial slurs at the man following the assault. Police are now investigating the incident
The group standing at the end of the road can be heard yelling a series of racial slurs towards the assaulted man as he turned around and walked back in the direction from which he came.
Cleveland Police have now urged the victim or anyone with information on his identity to come forward.
A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: ‘Detectives are investigating an assault towards a young boy of black or ethnic origin.
‘Mobile phone footage that was posted on social media showed he had been punched to the face.
‘It is believed to have occurred on Lowthian Road and detectives are urging him, or anyone who may know who he is, to come forward and contact police on 101.’
The shocking scene came as droves of angry mobs descended on Manchester and London.
But it was Hartlepool that saw the most chaotic riots, with yobs throwing objects at riot police, striking their shields and setting a police car on fire.
False speculation surfaced online that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had travelled to the UK on a boat, which appeared to be fuelling the shocking violence which started outside a mosque in Southport on Tuesday and spread across the UK yesterday.
The misinformation is believed to have originated from a Russian-linked fake news website.
The suspect, who is from the nearby village of Banks, Lancashire, but was born in Cardiff, Wales, has been charged with the murders of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar.
The teenager, who cannot be named because he is under 18, has also been charged with ten counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article. He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court today.
Southport locals – including Elsie’s mother – called for the violence to stop after police vans were set on fire and bricks were hurled in violence that left 53 officers injured on Tuesday.
But her wishes were ignored as angry mobs took to the streets – in other parts of the country – amid mounting anger as many were filled with an anti-migrant rhetoric.
Elsewhere in Hartlepool rioters set fire to a police car and series of pops could be heard from as it was destroyed.
HARTLEPOOL: A police car was torched by protesters as anger mounts over the Southport stabbings
HARTLEPOOL: Rioters broke down a fence as violence erupted in Britain for the second night running
HARTLEPOOL: Masked thugs stare down riot police as violence engulfed the town
Initially, there was a louder bang as the fuel tank went up in flames as right-wing protesters posed for selfies with the wreck after firefighters put the blaze out.
Missiles including glass bottles and eggs were also hurled at the police who were braced for attacks with shields after hundreds gathered in the town centre.
Officers shut off a large section of Murray Street, a busy road full of takeaways and shops.
It is understood the Salaam Community Centre came under threat and police were working to keep the area safe.
Rioters were also filmed shouting racist chants. Many had their faces covered and aggressively clapped their hands and waved their arms in the air during the violence.
