Teen boy denies part in 'mass civil unrest' in Bolton

The town centre was one of several areas across the country to be hit by disorder that weekend after demonstrators and counter demonstrators gathered at Victoria Square.

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was brought before Manchester Magistrates Court, sitting as a youth court, where he pleaded not guilty to a charge of violent disorder.

District Judge Joanne Hirst said the boy faced an “extremely serious” charge of being involved in “mass civil unrest” in Bolton town centre.

The boy was bailed and will next appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court for a hearing on August 28.

Police at Victoria Square (Image: Henry Lisowski)

The boy was one of several people to have been arrested in the wake of the disturbances around Bolton town centre that day.

This came after a self-proclaimed “Enough is Enough: Take Back Our Country” rally gathered in Victoria Square and met with counter demonstrators.

This led to heated stand-offs around Victoria Square and on Bradshawgate as riot police kept the two group apart.

Officers with riot gear, on horse back and with dogs remained on the scene long into Sunday afternoon.  

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Just a day earlier, on Saturday August 3 disturbances had also broken out in Manchester around the Piccadilly Gardens area.

This was part of a wave of unrest that had swept across the country in the wake of the Southport stabbings earlier that week.

Since then, police and the courts have processed several people who were arrested and charged in connection with the disorder.