An interfaith charity in Nelson has condemned the “abhorrent” riots that have broken out across Lancashire. The protests are in response to a knife attack in Southport last Monday (July 29)

Building Bridges Pendle, an interfaith organisation that aims is to improve community relations and community cohesion among people in different cultures, has issued a statement.

This is after protests were held in Lancashire on Saturday, with reports of other protests rumoured to take place across parts of the county today (August 7).

The charity said it saddened by the “abhorrent scenes of riots and destruction”. It said people need to “stand together as one community”.

A spokesperson said: “We are saddened by the abhorrent scenes of riots and destruction witnessed by communities across the UK over the last week.

"The actions of just a minority have caused severe damage to property, injured many police officers and innocent citizens, and much more importantly, community relations throughout the country.

“Despite the negatives, we have seen glimpses of great community spirit and stories arising from the riots and we hope here in Pendle we can focus on these as inspiration to stand together as one community.

“It is important for us to persevere in our stance towards peace and acceptance of each other, to condemn such actions, and to remain resolute in our position that we will not let hate divide our community here in Pendle.

"We must uphold the strength of our relationships and become ambassadors for dialogue in order to discuss matters rationally and constructively.”

Arrests were made in Lancashire on Saturday (August 3) after protesters took to the streets.

Lancashire police said it had made 22 arrests over Saturday and Sunday. Twenty of those people were arrested in Blackpool, one person was arrested in Blackburn and another in Preston.

Blackpool saw periods of disorder, whilst Preston and Blackburn were subject to a small disruption, police said.

There were reports of further protests set to take place in Burnley and Accrington today. At the time of writing, protests have not yey materialised in either town.

Hyndburn council said “it is aware of messages circulating on social media regarding planned gatherings in Accrington”.

Councillor Munsif Dad, leader of the council, and councillor Kimberley Whitehead, portfolio holder for community safety and cohesion said: “The police are prepared and have plans in place for any situation that may occur. The Council urges people to stay away and not get involved.

“We understand that residents are concerned about violence and planned protests. Please be assured the police are aware. Remain vigilant and if you are concerned for your safety contact the police.

“We have a strong tradition of community in Hyndburn and we are confident that residents will stand united against anyone intent on causing fear, destruction or violence.

“Councillors are engaging with our local communities and would urge anyone with any concerns to speak to us or the police.”

Several businesses and organisations have closed early in anticipation of the proposed protests. The Council’s contact centre will close early today at 4pm.

Arndale Accrington, a shopping centre, is set to close early at 3pm.

A police spokesperson said: “We know the past few days and weeks have left some people in our communities feeling concerned and vulnerable. We know others are worried about further protests and disruption.

“As the police, it is our responsibility to protect you and keep you safe. We do this by working very much in partnership with other public services.

“We continue to have a robust policing response in place to tackle possible disorder.

“We are monitoring information at a local and national level around possible disruption, enabling us to have the right level of resources on duty to respond to any incidents safely and robustly in Lancashire, where required to do so. Additional officers have been identified and are on standby if required.

“We will not stand by if disorder begins, or vandalism takes place. Arrests will be made either immediately or retrospectively.

“To those seeking to commit these offences, let this be a message to you: we will identify you, we will find you, and we will bring you to justice.

“We would encourage people to go about their business as normal. We continue to police Lancashire as usual and as always, the priority is public safety.

We have seen lots of information circulating online about possible events in Lancashire that haven’t come to anything, so please think twice about what you read, share and believe from online sources.

“There are a lot of motivations for why people may be sharing information so be critical and if in doubt, look to trusted voices such as the police and your community leaders.”