‘Stash the weapons in the mosque and we won’t have to arrest anyone’ police officer filmed telling counter protesters

A police officer was filmed telling counter-protesters to “stash the weapons in the mosque and we won’t have to arrest anyone”.

In a clip posted to TikTok, the officer addressed a group of men gathered outside the Darul Falah mosque in Hanley, near Stoke-on-Trent, on Saturday as riots swept across the country.

Counter-protesters gathered simultaneously as an anti-immigration protest which soon turned violent took place in the city centre.

The video shows the liaison officer, wearing a blue police vest, appearing to give the group a weapons amnesty.

Speaking through a loudspeaker, he said: “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 police, so if there are any weapons, get rid of them and we won’t have to arrest anyone.”

Staffordshire Police has since launched a review into the footage after it widely circulated on social media.

Responding to the clip, former Metropolitan Police officer Steve Perkins said: “The officer tells people to leave weapons at the mosque and nobody will be arrested. I can see why there is an argument re two-tier policing.”

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Another post aimed at Sir Keir Starmer added: “With weapons yet no arrests, why? We see this as two-tier policing.”

However, a third appeared to voice support for an amnesty, writing: “Never heard of a weapons amnesty?”

Rioting has gripped England for the past seven days after three girls were tragically stabbed to death in Southport on July 29.

Unrest has spread across the country, with major cities including Manchester and London also experiencing violent disorder.

Staffordshire Police has been forced to take to the streets of Stoke-on-Trent to deal with rioting.

Trouble has seen rival groups clash in the vicinity of the mosque, as scenes turned violent.

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 (August 3).

“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.”