Two more jailed over violent protest in Bristol

Two more men have been jailed for their role in a city centre protest which turned violent.

James Maine, 44, and Shane Dennis, 30, were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court earlier in connection with the disorder in Bristol on Saturday 3 August.

The unrest occurred when protesters and counter protesters gathered near Castle Park in the city centre.

Avon and Somerset Police have arrested 51 people in connection with the disorder, with 37 being charged so far.

Maine, of Kingswood, received a 28-month jail sentence after throwing missiles at police and punching a member of the public, which was captured on CCTV.

Judge Peter Blair said Maine's involvement was "persistent", and described him as "one of the central individuals" carrying our the violent disorder.

Dennis, of Knowle, was jailed for four weeks after pleading guilty to a racially-aggravated public order offence after shouting racist remarks in Castle Park that same day.

Judge Blair accepted Dennis was not directly involved in the violence, but said his actions were "provocative" and helped fuel the disorder.

Demonstrations took place across England after three young girls were killed in Southport, Merseyside, on 29 July.

False claims were spread online that the person responsible was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat.

"There was no excuse for violence that day," said Det Ch Insp Tom Herbert.

"The scenes played out in Bristol on 3 August were criminal and disgraceful, and now more than 20 people have been sentenced for what they did on that day.

“Detectives are continuing to investigate, and work with the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts to ensure all those responsible for such reprehensible scenes are brought to justice.”

Avon and Somerset Police said it was still keen to identify a number of people that officers want to speak to as part of their investigation.

Earlier, a 25-year-old man from the Shirehampton area of Bristol was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and is currently in police custody.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.