The top prosecutor in England and Wales has warned that hundreds more people involved in the riots that have swept the country will be hauled before the courts in the coming days, with the most serious offenders facing up to ten years in jail.
Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said the number of charging decisions is expected to soar with a “new phase” of cases being brought by police.
Many of those charged so far have been prosecuted for violent disorder, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. However, Parkinson said the more serious offence of rioting — which carries up to a ten-year penalty — was now under consideration.
