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POLICE vans were set on fire as cops clashed with rioters outside a mosque in Southport near the scene of a horror stabbing that left three dead.
Large crowds fought with officers in the Merseyside town not far from where three children were killed in a sickening knife rampage on Monday.
Shocking footage from the scene showed bottles and bricks being thrown at police vans as other projectiles hurtled through the air.
Merseyside Police said that the English Defence League was believed to be behind the violent protests.
It comes as tensions run high in the town following a stabbing attack, where three children were killed while attending a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop.
Speculation about the alleged attacker's identity circulated online, fuelling the tension that already existed after Monday’s horrific attack.