Six faces on a police list

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary published images of six men they want to speak to after violent disorder at an anti-immigration protest in Portsmouth.

A dinghy, then a crowd

Around 200 people gathered at Eastney Marina overnight last Sunday after a dinghy crossed the English Channel. They dispersed early on Monday.

Seven officers hurt

Seven police officers were injured and treated at the scene. Coastguard and Border Force vehicles were damaged during the night.

Hundreds of hours of footage

The force reviewed hundreds of hours of video before naming anyone, then released six images of men who it says can assist the investigation.

“hundreds of hours' worth”

First man in court

Del Leon Somerville, 42, of Paulsgrove, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court charged with violent disorder and assaulting a police constable.

A 16-year-old on bail

A boy from Waterlooville was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder over the Eastney Marina scenes and released on bail until 12 December.

Not peaceful protest

Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson drew a hard line between demonstration and what happened on the beach that Sunday evening.

“Clearly events on Sunday evening were not peaceful protest, rather violent public disorder”

Call 101, quote the reference

Anyone who recognises the six men is asked to ring 101 or report online quoting reference 44260435943.

Why nobody was cuffed there

Rowlinson said public order policing often cannot make arrests on the night, because evidence has to be reviewed to pin offences to individuals.

“arrests at the time are not always possible”

Officers targeted online

Police said officers and partner agency staff have been singled out and abused on social media, and that the force will work with other forces on online threats.

“Our officers did not deserve to be assaulted”

Into the water

Dozens of protesters waded into the sea to confront 140 asylum seekers rescued from an overloaded dinghy, chanting as a Coastguard vessel prepared to land them.

“stop the boats”

Dispersed at 3am

Riot police cleared the demonstrators at 3am. Footage online showed migrants coming off lifeboats to waiting buses bound for a processing centre in Kent.

Five hundred block the road

The landing triggered about 500 demonstrators to block the road out of Portsmouth to stop the coaches. Some followed the buses by car to the Manston facility.

Second flashpoint in a week

Portsmouth followed Dover, where hundreds of men in balaclavas blockaded the port the previous Saturday.

Launched from Normandy

The dinghy set off from the Baie de Seine, a 180-mile drive south-west of Calais, a sign smugglers are spreading their launch points to dodge enforcement.

France watched for ten hours

The French coastguard shadowed the boat rather than intervening, saying the number of people aboard made it too dangerous. British lifeboats then took over.

Called out on social media

Protesters flocked to the coast after calls to action online and spent at least five hours on Eastney beach and in the water before a dispersal order was imposed.

Two thousand return

About 2,000 protesters descended on Portsmouth again on Saturday, facing off with anti-racism demonstrators a week after the landing.

Masks banned, three arrested

Police banned face coverings after Dover. Timothy Miller, 76, was charged with concealing his identity; David McNally, 33, with obstructing a highway and attempted criminal damage.

A warning for next time

The force framed its investigation as a message to anyone planning disruption at future protests: break the law and it will seek a prosecution where it can.

“If you break the law we will take action against you”