A Staffordshire man convicted of rioting in connection with post-Southport unrest has been jailed for six years and 17 weeks.

Simon Orr, 39, of Tamworth, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday, after he pleaded guilty last month to charges of riot and assaulting a female police officer, police said.

Orr, of Grazier Avenue, Two Gates, Tamworth, who was the third defendant in England to admit a charge of riot in connection with disorder around the country, also sent a WhatsApp message encouraging others to turn up during an attack on a hotel in Tamworth on August 4.

Bricks and debris outside a building
Debris after the attack on Tamworth’s Holiday Inn Express (Jacob King/PA)

Staffordshire Police said a dedicated team of detectives have been working tirelessly to review footage “and to act against those who subjected our communities and frontline officers to senseless acts of criminality”.

The force said in a statement: “Orr was arrested on August 12 and originally denied his involvement, saying the protest was peaceful.

“We secured the evidence to charge him for violent disorder and later consulted with the CPS over upgrading the offence to riot – unlawful violence – public order, the most serious of the Public Order Act 1986.

“In September, we became the second force in the UK to secure riot charges against two people, including Orr.

“Alongside his sentencing today, we also reached a milestone of making 150 arrests in connection with both disorders in Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth. More will be coming.”

Police officers in front of police tape and riot debris
Police guarding the hotel on August 5 (Jacob King/PA)

As part of Orr’s sentence, he was also given a 10-year community behaviour order.

Assistant Chief Constable Becky Riggs said: “What happened on that weekend in August is something that is going to stay with our officers and local communities for a very long time.

“Our investigation has been unwavering and is still very much in progress.

“We want to make sure we take the right action against everybody who contributed to the disorder in Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth, and to send a clear message that we will never tolerate anything like this in Staffordshire or across the UK.”