Anyone caught taking part in copycat rioting and looting in Scotland will be hammered by ‘very swift justice’, John Swinney has warned.
The First Minister vowed the police and courts would crack down on troublemakers amid fears civil unrest in England could spread north of the Border this weekend.
Emergency plans drawn up to tackle mass disorder at Cop26 are being dusted off to deal with the threat of rioting by far-Right thugs. Mr Swinney said police intelligence had identified the possibility of ‘some gatherings’ in Scotland over the coming days.
It comes after hundreds of people were arrested in England following a wave of disorder that broke out last weekend in the wake of the Southport stabbings on July 29, in which three girls were murdered.
The courts in England have started handing out hefty sentences, with 17 defendants being jailed for a total of nearly 32 years yesterday.
Mr Swinney said the speed of justice meted out to those involved in the mayhem had sent a ‘signal’ to thugs in England.
He added: ‘I think the Crown Office will be looking very carefully at exactly what has been done there.’ Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Mr Swinney added: ‘The police are undertaking a comprehensive intelligence-gathering exercise and that has identified the possibility of some gatherings in Scotland.
‘That is based on information circulating on social media. Thankfully, so far, none of that intelligence has turned into reality.
‘But we must remain vigilant because of the unacceptable conduct that has taken place in other parts of the UK, violent conduct that has been about hatred.’
The Cop26 gathering in Glasgow in 2021 saw auxiliary weekend courts set up and the Crown Office given extra resources to process offenders. Similar contingency plans are now being prepared.
There are fears of trouble in Paisley, Greenock and Glasgow in the coming days. The far-Right Scottish Defence Group has said it will stage a ‘peaceful protest’ in Paisley linked to asylum seekers tonight, with Stand up to Racism activists planning a counter-demo.
On Wednesday, Mr Swinney met faith leaders to reassure them their communities would be protected.
He also held a briefing with Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell and the leaders of the other Holyrood parties about preparedness in case of trouble.
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed that ‘far-Right thugs’ involved in the recent rioting, looting and fire-raising will face ‘swift justice’. The Prime Minister made it clear ‘anybody involving themselves in disorder will feel the full force of the law’.
Confirming he would follow this lead, the First Minister said: ‘The Crown Office has established plans in place for very swift justice if it is required to be undertaken.
‘Those plans were developed for Cop26. Those plans are obviously being revisited in light of events in the rest of the UK.’
As the largest force outside London, he said Police Scotland had ‘formidable resources’ and officers could be ‘deployed flexibly around Scotland’.
He added: ‘I will work with other political parties to make it clear this country has absolutely no tolerance of bigotry and violence and hatred and Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.
‘We just won’t have it in Scotland. It’s a prize that our communities are as cohesive as they are. That’s been a product of a lot of hard work over many years.
‘Police Scotland is ready and prepared to deal with the situation should it have to be handled in Scotland. I hope that is not the case, but the police are well positioned to handle this should it arise.’
It comes as it emerged Police Scotland has been asked for help from other forces as violent clashes with protesters look set to continue.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has asked for 120 officers to be sent.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘We have received a number of requests for aid and these are being considered, balanced against the needs of policing in Scotland.’
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher confirmed his force had asked for help after almost a week of nightly disorder across Belfast left his workforce exhausted. It is thought Scots officers will arrive in Northern Ireland by Tuesday.
Last night, Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie moved to reassure Scots.
He said: ‘We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure any potential for violence or disorder in Scotland is identified quickly and responded to immediately.
‘We are aware of a number of planned protests, and counter-protests, over the coming weeks, which will be policed appropriately. We would also encourage the media and public not to share speculation or inaccurate information on social media.’
The Crown Office said it was ‘working closely with the courts and other justice partners’ on contingency plans for ‘any widespread criminal disorder’.
The Scottish Courts Service said it was ‘well prepared to manage the impact of any additional offending as a result of disorder’.
A spokesman added: ‘We have reviewed our plans in view of recent events in England. Those held in custody will appear before the court on the next lawful day.’