A 15-year-old boy has become the first person to be charged with riot following the recent nationwide disorder.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is due to appear at South Tyneside Youth Court on Thursday where he will be asked to enter a plea to the charge.

Rioting is an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison – double that of a charge of violent disorder.

The boy, from Sunderland, is accused of riot following disorder in his home city on August 2.

Gale Gilchrist, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East, said: “Following a review of further evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service has today laid a charge of riot in relation to a 15-year-old boy, following disorder that took place in Sunderland on August 2.

“This is the first such charge to be authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service in the wake of recent unrest.

“The boy, from Sunderland, will appear at South Tyneside Youth Court today [August 15, 2024] where he will be asked to enter a plea.

“This defendant is one of a number of individuals who we expect will be charged with riot, and as these are live proceedings we remind all concerned that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson, of Northumbria Police, said: “I hope this sends a really strong message that, no matter how old you are, if you took part in the recent appalling events in Sunderland, you will face really serious charges.

“Our investigations team are doing a fantastic job trawling through the hours and hours of footage and intelligence we have from that night. I would like to thank the public who have continued to supply us with images, video and information to help us build that evidential picture.

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“The team have worked amazingly quickly, with our criminal justice partners, to arrest those responsible and bring them before the courts.

“However, as that evidence picture continues to build, if it becomes apparent that an individual may have been involved in further criminality, they will be brought before the courts again and charged with the most serious offence possible.

“Our communities and my officers, staff and volunteers, suffered horrendously that night and those responsible need to be held fully to account.”