I was trapped and could see the police 'getting destroyed' on CCTV in Southport riot
"We could see them getting destroyed. They were getting battered. I never thought I'd witness anything like that."
A young man has shared his terrifying experience of being trapped inside his mosque during a riot in Southport. Mohammad Haque, 25, feared for his life as he and seven others were instructed to remain inside after prayers.
The smell of smoke led them to believe the building was ablaze. Mr Haque said: "It was scary and traumatic. We were watching it in the office on the cameras.
"I felt the bricks and I thought I was finished. I thought my time was coming. The fire outside was getting bigger and bigger. We could see the police were doing their best. We could see them getting destroyed. They were getting battered. I never thought I'd witness anything like that, " reports the Mirror.
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Another individual inside the mosque, Iqbal, 32, described the scene as: "It was mental, like a war zone." Others reported women frightened to wear their headscarves, with one woman removing hers when they jumped on her car.
The rioting began on Tuesday evening following the tragic murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift summer holiday camp by a knife-wielding man. The youngest victim was six-year-old Bebe King, who lost her life alongside Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.
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Last night was never about the children
Six other children are critically injured and two adults continue to fight for their lives in hospital. Police were met with bricks and bottles, while cars, including a police van, were torched as they tried to protect a local mosque after online falsehoods about the murder suspect went viral. Amidst last night's mayhem, four people were arrested, and over 50 policemen sustained injuries.
Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: "Our priority was to try and keep the communities of Southport safe and also to make sure officers remained safe. It's impossible to say [how many will be arrested]. It's really early days in the investigation."
She further noted: "Initially, there were about 70 people who made their way away from the vigil and were making their way towards the mosque. They suddenly became about 200 in number and then others joined that number."
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