Police were too slow to stamp out deadly misinformation that fuelled the riots that gripped Britain in the wake of the Southport knife rampage, a report has found.
Sir Andy Cooke, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, said misinformation and disinformation posted on social media helped fuel the disorder that broke out across England last summer and that posts were left up too long.
The murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 last year sparked riots in Southport which quickly spread across other parts of the country.
Within hours, misinformation spread that the attacker, Axel Rudakubana, was a Muslim asylum seeker who had recently arrived in Britain on a small boat.
The 17-year-old, who is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 52 years, was actually born in Cardiff to Christian parents who arrived in Britain from Rwanda in the 1990s.
Researchers say there were at least 27 million impressions on social media posts wrongly stating or speculating that the alleged attacker was Muslim, a migrant, refugee or foreigner.
A total of 1,511 rioters were arrested and 960 charged in connection with the unrest that first broke out in Merseyside a day after the triple killing and would later engulf the nation in a wave of violence.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services has called on social media companies, Ofcom and the police to take quicker action to tackle false information in times of disorder.
Riot police hold back protesters after disorder broke out in Southport on July 30 – a day after the knife attack
Within hours, misinformation spread that the attacker, Axel Rudakubana (pictured), was a Muslim asylum seeker who had recently arrived in Britain on a small boat
Bebe King and Elside Dot Stancombe were two of the girls fatally stabbed by Rudakubana
Alice da Silva Aguiar (pictured) was the third murder victim at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class
Sir Andy, the head of the watchdog, said force chiefs should consider how to be more open with journalists from established mainstream media outlets about all major investigations to counter false information.
He spoke to journalists as the watchdog’s second report on the policing response to the riots was published.
The report said forces had not heeded recommendations given by the inspectorate in 2011 and 2021 about intelligence relating to disorder, as well as dealing with social media.
‘Forces can’t control or counter the speed and volume of online content, that goes without saying, but they need to better appreciate how fast-moving events will require them to counter the false narratives online and be innovative in their approach,’ he said.
‘They need to fill the information void that we saw throughout this disorder that was filled with so much misinformation and disinformation, because that misinformation, disinformation, could go viral very, very quickly.
‘So policing cannot be passive when public safety is at risk.’
Sir Andy said the causes of the disorder were ‘complex’, adding: ‘Predominantly, people who took part lived locally. But the events that led to the arrests of those involved included largely overt expressions of disaffection that took place online and on the streets of UK towns and cities.
Irrespective of the causes, those involved cannot be excused for their actions.
‘The police service needs to learn lessons from previous outbreaks of disorder; it should not be caught off-guard again.
The report said forces had not heeded recommendations given by the inspectorate in 2011 and 2021 about intelligence relating to disorder, as well as dealing with social media. Pictured: Riots in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, over the summer
A police car burns as officers are deployed on the streets of Hartlepool following a violent protest on July 31
‘It needs to develop a more cohesive intelligence network that informs and supports the police response to simmering tension and unrest.’
Sir Andy said he was ‘disappointed’ that the police service has still not held a ‘national debrief to learn lessons’ more than nine months after the disorder.
‘Inaction detracts from the good work the police did during the disorder, and it harms the service’s reputation,’ he said.
Some forces have an ‘exceptionally limited’ ability to deal with content online due to a lack of resources, the report said.
But the chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Gavin Stephens, said ‘a more balanced assessment’ is needed.
He said: ‘While there are lessons to learn, it is crucial to acknowledge that law enforcement does not – and should not – regulate online content.
‘Responsibility for ensuring information is accurate and does not fuel harm lies with those posting it, platform providers and regulatory bodies.’
Protesters spray fire extinguishers at riot police officers during scenes of unrest in Sunderland on August 2
Riot police hold back protesters after disorder broke out on July 30, 2024 in Southport
False information about the alleged perpetrator of the Southport attack received more than 27million impressions on Twitter as violence erupted in 27 towns. Pictured: Protesters near a burning police vehicle in Southport on July 30 2024
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The report included a comment from one force head of communications who told inspectors the police service had ‘no proper answer’ for managing misinformation and disinformation.
Mr Stephens continued: ‘The report states that policing has ‘no proper answer’ for tackling misinformation and disinformation, but the issue extends far beyond law enforcement.
‘No public sector organisation or body responsible for public safety is fully equipped to address the scale and complexity of the problem.
‘Policing alone cannot be expected to lead or resolve this volatile challenge; it requires a co-ordinated, cross-government approach. This reality must be acknowledged.’
He said communications staff had made sure accurate information and the consequences of getting involved in violent disorder were clearly and widely communicated.
The report found that the disorder was predictable, despite national assessments that said the risk of unrest was low.
‘National police intelligence assessments didn’t correctly assess the risk and threat to public safety from a rising tide of disorder,’ the report found.
‘Grading the threat and risk of disorder as ‘low’ was wrong and influenced the timeliness of national mobilisation decisions.’
It said the lack of a police intelligence network dealing specifically with disorder is a problem, and called for a return to neighbourhood policing so officers are more aware of tensions in their area.
While dramatic events fuel greater use of social media sites, tech companies must also be responsible about public safety, Sir Andy told journalists.
‘It is great for them, but they’ve got to have social responsibility as well.
‘These companies have got to have responsibility, irrespective of whether they are led from China, led from America.’
He called for the communications watchdog to get beefed-up powers to take posts down more quickly, and said the Online Safety Act has ‘little or no bearing on the real-time effects of online content during instances of rapidly evolving, widespread disorder’.
‘Ofcom needs to have the proper capacity and capability to (get posts taken down) quickly if it’s going to be effective,’ Sir Andy said.
‘And in a national disorder issue like you saw, the speed of some of these posts that are going up makes it really difficult to get them down quickly.
‘If you don’t get them down quickly, they spread virally.’
Laws around what is classed as inciting public disorder should also be tightened up so there are tougher consequences for those who knowingly post false information online, he said.
The chairwoman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Emily Spurrell, said: ‘It is extremely concerning that the inspectorate finds forces have failed to learn lessons following previous incidents of widespread violent disorder.
‘Technology is transforming society, and it is vital the police service keeps up with that.
‘If our police are to respond to the kind of trouble we saw last summer, forces must prioritise investing time, resources and in the technology to identify those who might incite, promote and organise disorder on our streets.
‘They need to develop the capability to monitor online sources, recognising and acting on intelligence of potential violence.’