Hatred of police not racism motivated children in English riots, report finds

Children's commissioner says young people involved in disorder felt disempowered and saw chance to retaliate

A deep distrust of the police and a lack of youth opportunities fuelled the involvement of hundreds of disempowered" children in last year's riots across England, a report has found.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner for England, said young people were not primarily motivated by far-right, anti-immigration or racist views" or by online misinformation, contrary to what she called the prevailing narrative".