Two men have been arrested and charged in less than 24 hours in connection with the violent disorder in Sunderland city centre last Friday.

Yesterday (Wednesday), Northumbria Police simultaneously executed warrants at addresses in Washington and arrested two men on suspicion of violent disorder. 

Riley Adey, 19, of Heworth Crescent, and Reece Greenwood, 31, of The Gardens, have been charged with violent disorder and will appear before magistrates this morning in South Tyneside for their first hearing.

It takes the total arrested to 18 and forms part of the force’s no-nonsense approach in the aftermath of the scenes that unfolded following a protest in the centre of Sunderland. 

Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr, of Northumbria Police’s Major Investigation Team (MIT), said: “We will not let up in tracking down those responsible for the unrest last weekend.

“Our officers are relentlessly trawling through items of intelligence to locate the offending individuals – and I must praise their continued efforts and commitment.”

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Det Ch Insp Barr added: “I also want to thank members of the community for coming forward with information that has proved crucial in our investigations.

“It has been truly amazing to see the huge amount of support for the Force in the past week.

“It just goes to show that the thugs who were involved in the violent displays do not represent the communities we serve.”