IT is desperately sad for Hartlepool that a tiny minority of people have been able to catapult the town into the national headlines for all the wrong reasons.

“This is not who we are,” said the town’s MP, Jonathan Brash, after a night of violence caused by, according to a police estimate, 150 rioters – that’s just 150 out of the town’s population of 92,000. This handful does not represent Hartlepool.

In fact, they have no concern for their town. How could they? They’ve got angry and turned on their own community, destroying their own streets and shops – even a dog doesn’t do that in its own bed.

And they have achieved nothing. Their actions are not going to change Government policy, and they are not going to help the people of Southport.

Indeed, it looks as if they have been used. They’ve been whipped into a frenzy by false information spread by people who have no interest in them but who just wish to foment unrest for its own sake.

At least there is so much social media bravado and footage of the disturbance that the police, who should never have to face missiles thrown by their own people, should have no trouble in identifying the perpetrators.

The real Hartlepool consists of the people who turned out early doors yesterday, of their own bidding and out of genuine concern, to clear up the mess and to take back control of the streets from the thugs. We hope that they – the decent majority – will be strong enough to bring their community back together and not let a tiny minority tarnish their town’s proud reputation.