'Knock on door' warning to disorder suspects

A police force has warned those who took part in disorder in Middlesbrough to expect "a knock on your door".

A specialist team from Cleveland Police is examining thousands of hours of CCTV, social media and bodycam footage in a bid to track down those involved in unrest on 4 August.

Homes, cars and businesses were smashed up, as rocks, bricks and bottles were thrown at officers.

Det Ch Insp Sarah Robinson, who leads the 40-strong team, said the force would "relentlessly pursue those suspected of causing serious violence and disorder".

The force said Middlesbrough had never before seen "this level of hatred and violence" as deliberate attempts were made to seriously injure officers.

So far, 60 arrests have been made and a number of people have gone through the court system and been jailed.

The team has already identified more than 250 separate crimes during disorder in Hartlepool and in Middlesbrough.

Once an individual is suspected of committing a crime, his or her movements are carefully tracked.

Often over several hours, they are picked up on different CCTV cameras and social media feeds, moving throughout the town.

Even those wearing masks and face coverings eventually reveal their identity.

Officers have also used the Police National Computer (PNC) to identify people who have distinctive tattoos, scars and birthmarks.

Det Insp Richard Hodgkinson said many wrongly believed they had got away with their crimes.

"Just because you had your face covered, doesn’t mean we won’t be knocking at your door and arresting you."

He added that the response from the public had been "absolutely overwhelming", as people were appalled and disgusted by what they witnessed.

"Hundreds and hundreds of people had been in touch sending messages, naming people or sending footage of the disorder," he said.

"The sheer volume of video footage means this investigation will go on for several months."

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