Keir Starmer to hold another emergency Cobra meeting this evening over week-long riots crisis - with PM vowing to 'take all necessary action' to end violent chaos on Britain's streets

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Sir Keir Starmer will chair another emergency Cobra meeting this evening over Britain's week-long riots crisis.

The PM will meet with top ministers and police chiefs for the second time in two days amid the violent scenes in towns and cities across the country.

He earlier vowed to 'take all necessary action' to end the chaos as Cabinet ministers stepped up their efforts to combat the disorder.

Sir Keir met with his senior team in Downing Street as they discussed moves to deploy a 'standing army' of 6,000 specialist police to trouble hotspots.

The Government is also making an extra 500 prison places available as they look to swiftly bring far-right thugs to justice over the widespread outbreak of violence.

Sir Keir told a Cabinet meeting that the disorder in the wake of the Southport stabbing attack was 'not protest' and needed to be treated as 'criminal activity'.

'We need to be calling it out for what it is,' the PM told his Government's most senior figures, as he condemned the shocking scenes.

Sir Keir Starmer today vowed to 'take all necessary action' to end Britain's riots crisis as Cabinet ministers stepped up their efforts to combat the week-long chaos.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, pictured arriving for today's Cabinet meeting, condemned the scenes of thuggery at a library, mosques, supermarkets and hotels housing asylum seekers

Attorney General Richard Hermer (left) updated on progress in charging offenders, while Technology Secretary Peter Kyle spoke about his meetings with social media bosses

Rioters attack police at a Holiday Inn Express hotel accommodating asylum seekers in Rotherham

Sir Keir said: 'When I went to Southport I spoke to police who described what it was like to attend the mass stabbing of little girls and then to be back on duty the next day in riot gear, having bricks thrown at them.

'This is something no one would have ever wanted to see and we need to be calling it out for what it is.It is not protest. It is violent disorder and needs to be treated as such, as criminal activity.

'99.9 per cent of people across the country want their streets to be safe and to feel safe in their communities and we will take all necessary action to bring the disorder to an end.'

A Downing Street readout of today's Cabinet reading also revealed how Sir Keir told his top ministers that those involved in the riots 'will feel the full force of the law'.

He also promised they would be subject to 'swift justice' and said special duty public order officers are ready to be deployed across the country to tackle any emerging trouble.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the scenes of crime and thuggery at Liverpool Children's Library, mosques, supermarkets and hotels housing asylum seekers.

She also spoke about the progress of a new National Violent Disorder Programme to bring together the best policing capabilities from across the country to share intelligence on the activity of violent groups.

Attorney General Richard Hermer provided an update on the progress by the Crown Prosecution Service in charging offenders and said he looked towards potential court hearings at the end of the week.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle told fellow Cabinet ministers about his recent meetings with social media bosses and said he had made clear their responsibility to stop the spread of hateful disinformation and incitement.

Police officers with dogs intervene during clashes at Guildhall Square in Plymouth yesterday

Justice minister Heidi Alexander said 567 additional prison spaces would soon come into use

Earlier, justice minister Heidi Alexander said 567 additional prison spaces would soon come into use.

'We will make sure that anyone who is given a custodial sentence as a result of the riots and disorder, there will be a prison place waiting for them,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Extra cells at HMP Stocken, Rutland, will be in use from 'next week', Ms Alexander said, with plans also in place to use space at Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution in Kent for adult prisoners.

She also revealed more detail about the planned 'standing army' of police officers Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced yesterday afternoon.

Ms Alexander told Times Radio: 'These are police officers who have had specialist training in dealing with public order offences.

'We had 4,000 available at the weekend. There will be another 2,000 available this week. It also means that police officers are able to be deployed in parts of the country where they are needed most.'

Elsewhere, she said courts 'could possibly' begin sitting 'through the evening, the night, at weekends' in order to swiftly prosecute rioters.

The additional courts protocol, which was created in the aftermath of the 2011 riots, could be invoked in areas where police and prosecuting chiefs feel it is needed, the minister told LBC.

The courts are now 'willing to consider any of those requests', according to Ms Alexander.

During her round of TV and radio interviews, Ms Alexander warned thugs taking part in the riots they could face prison sentences of up to 10 years.

She told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'Decisions about sentencing when these cases come to the courts will be for judges.

'But anyone watching our television screens and seeing the images that you and I have seen of this violent disorder, the racist attacks, the dangerous extremism, will realise that in all likelihood there are some very serious offences that have been committed.

'It will be for the Crown Prosecution Service to determine what charges are brought against individuals, evidence will need to be collated so that there are strong cases going before the courts and then it will be judges to determine those sentences.

'But whether it is rioting, violent disorder, incitement to racial hatred, criminal damage, these carry very significant maximum sentences.'

Pressed on how long those sentences could be, she added: 'Ten years, seven years, five years for some of the offences that I've just spoken about.'

The maximum jail term for rioting is ten years.