Peter Cooke
Reporting from Southampton

Hampshire Police has released a statement condemning the protest on Tuesday in Southampton, which left 11 officers injured.

Here’s an account from our reporter who was on the ground last night.

As the sun began to set in a quiet suburb of Southampton I arrived close to the scene where Henry Nowak was attacked and died.

I was met by a large, volatile and angry group of protesters and local youths.

Some had taken part in an earlier peaceful protest at Southampton Police station.

Many were wearing masks, most were filming or live streaming the scene to friends and social media followers.

Dozens of missiles and projectiles were launched towards police officers dressed in riot gear who had blocked off a nearby road where it is believed the family of Henry Nowak’s killer live.

A police officer narrowly avoided being hit by an e-scooter which had been thrown from a height.

Bricks, bottles, gravel and parts of broken fences were repeatedly launched towards the officers.

Overhead the police helicopter and drone monitored the scene.

I also saw several protesters injured as they and officers clashed.

Some residents of this quiet community outside the city centre seemed shocked and scared by what they were witnessing.

Here's the statement from Chief Constable Alexis Boon:

"We understand and appreciate as police officers that we are accountable for our actions. What we ask, however, is that those actions are judged through fair and transparent processes. In this case, that process is already underway with the IOPC conducting their independent investigation.

"What we, as a society, cannot accept is the violent scenes we saw in Southampton last night.

"Some clearly arrived intent on causing disorder and trouble. We saw bottles thrown, makeshift weapons used, damage caused to the homes and vehicles of innocent residents and threats and violence directed towards our officers.

"As a result, 11 officers and one police dog were injured, while trying to do their job to protect the communities that we serve.

"While we are forced to deal with those determined to spark fear and division, our finite resources are taken away from those who need it most.

"I know how intimidating the scenes from last night must have been for those living and working in the area and to you, I must stress, we have incredibly experienced teams of officers who are working around the clock to keep you safe - that is our absolute priority.

"You will see more of my officers patrolling your neighbourhoods over the coming days and specialist intelligence teams are supporting those on the frontline.

"My officers bravely and robustly faced violence with professionalism and courage last night and this morning our investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the disorder.

"Last night, we made two arrests and that number will rise as those investigations continue.

"I know that since the release of the body-worn video footage from the night of Henry Nowak’s murder, there is a desire for answers and accountability but that must be done in the right way and not used as an excuse to threaten and intimidate my officers and bring violence to our streets causing fear and harm to those living and working in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight."

Hampshire Police Chief Constable Alexis Boon says 11 officers and one police dog were injured after protests in Southampton on Tuesday night.

In a statement, Boon says two arrests were made, with the number expected to rise as investigations continue into those responsible for the disorder.

We'll bring you the rest of Boon's statement shortly.

Malu Cursino
Live reporter

To report on stories like this, we need to hear from different stakeholders and organisations - which often means a lot of acronyms.

So, what do they all stand for?

IOPC is the Independent Office for Police Conduct. It's the police complaints watchdog for England and Wales, working independently from the police.

NPCC stands for the National Police Chiefs' Council. The NPCC is a UK-wide body that brings police leaders together to work collaboratively and improve policing for the public.

PCC stands for police and crime commissioner. These are elected officials in England and Wales who make sure local police meet the needs of the community.

Police must refer any deaths or serious injuries in custody to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which will investigate if needed.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the Commons on Tuesday that the IOPC plans to report back within the next three months.

"I know that it is difficult to wait any longer for answers but there is a proper process to assess whether there have been incidents of police misconduct," she said.

"[The IOPC] will determine what could and should have been done differently," she continued, adding that it will also establish "what action may need to be taken against individual officers."

IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said in a statement yesterday that the IOPC will meet Henry Nowak's family and update them about the investigation.

Campbell also said the investigation will look at officers' use of handcuffs, the first aid given, police body-worn camera footage, and evidence shown during the murder trial.

The first-ever turbaned Sikh MP says there’s "no excuse for the violent disorder or the rioting we have seen" after Henry Nowak’s death.

Tan Dhesi, Labour MP for Slough, also thanks Nowak’s father Mark, who called for his son’s death not to "be used to create further division, hatred or tension".

Dhesi tells BBC Breakfast the Sikh community has been left shamed and shocked by the murder.

He adds that many Sikhs are now "fearful because of the political climate that has been engulfing us - especially on social media".

Dhesi is also asked about the debate around the kirpan - a ceremonial sword or dagger carried by Sikhs - following Nowak’s murder.

He points out that the kirpan is one of the five articles of faith in Sikhism, and that Nowak’s murder did not involve the ceremonial dagger.

• What do Sikh traditions have to do with this case? Read more here

Sima Kotecha
Senior UK correspondent

More about the police anti-racism commitment document.

The guidance, issued by police chiefs in England and Wales, came off the back of various high-profile scandals in policing including on an international level.

There have been various reports surrounding WhatsApp messages in the UK - where officers have been found to have sent seriously offensive racist messages to one another.

There has also been much focus on police tactics such as "stop and search" - with studies suggesting it's used disproportionately on black people in London.

A senior serving police officer tells me: "A history of racism in policing is something we’ve had to look at and react to. But perhaps we’ve gone too far the other way? At the heart of what we do is treat everyone the same - and we need to make sure we’re doing that.”

Cachella Smith
Live reporter

As we've been reporting, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said on Tuesday it would review the language used in a document outlining anti-racism commitments, after shadow home secretary Chris Philp raised concerns.

Called the "Police Anti-Racism Commitment", the document sets out broad aims, including being "transparent" about police actions and making sure everyone in policing feels confident challenging racism.

One part that has caused debate in the last 24 hours is a commitment to achieving equality of "policing outcomes". The document says: "It does not mean treating everyone ‘the same’ or being ‘colour blind’ (racial equality)," with the reason given below:

The document, published last year, comes from the Police Race Action Plan which was announced in 2020 and first published in 2022.

The plan said it followed policing's "difficult history in its relationships with Black communities" - referencing the murder of George Floyd and the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.

Policing Minister Sarah Jones called it a "values document" this morning, not a training document. The NPCC says it sets out the "overarching ambition of the plan for a police service that was anti-racist and trusted by Black people".

BBC Verify has analysed footage released by police showing the moments before Henry Nowak died.

Nowak is handcuffed on the floor after telling police he has been stabbed.

"I can't breathe," he says - repeating it at least seven times.

A warning - this video contains distressing content.

Image source, PA Media

Reform UK's Robert Jenrick has called for a change in the way policing in the UK is conducted "for good".

Speaking to Times Radio, Jenrick says the case "must be a turning point".

He says Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is too "squeamish" about upsetting ethnic minorities to address the issue.

"I just want police officers to treat everyone in this country equally," he says, and denies that he is "pitting white Britons against ethnic minority Britons".

On Tuesday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage suggested people should respond to Henry Nowak's case with "pure cold rage". He said "a false accusation of racism counted higher at that moment than somebody that was dying" after the 18-year-old was handcuffed by police.

Here are the key points from policing minister Sarah Jones when she spoke to the BBC this morning:

• Two people were arrestedover the disorder in Southampton last night, with Jones calling the violence towards police "completely awful"
• Police are assessing drone footage to see if more arrests will be made
• Jones urged that Nowak's death should not "lead to more hate and division"
• Asked if there is a two-tier policing system, Jones told the BBC that "in the majority of cases, police are doing the right thing", but added "we see examples of people making the wrong call in different ways"
• She said it is right that the National Police Chiefs' Council is reviewing the anti-racism guidance, saying "this document feels like it's not right"

Sima Kotecha
Senior UK correspondent

I’ve spoken to a few serving police officers from various forces in England since the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa on Monday.

The mood among them is downbeat.

One said: “We’ve had several reports about how racist we are in the last few years when it comes to people, black people and Asian people, and so we’re very cautious when handling cases involving different races. Maybe we’re too cautious now.”

Another told me: “We have such a hard job and we’re always scrutinised. But we need to get it right. I just wish people got the pressure we’re under because of the accusations we’re racist by those who’ve done reports.”

Others echoed these sentiments.

These are just opinions from a few officers and by no means reflect what most policemen and women think.

But the views do give us some insight into the pressure officers face over race relations off the back of various damning reports in recent years.

For example the Dame Louise Casey report into the Metropolitan Police concluded the force was institutionally racist - words that reverberated across UK policing.

West Yorkshire Police has also faced some scrutiny. Since 2022, nine staff members have been to a misconduct hearing for racial discrimination. Of those, eight staff members were dismissed without notice and one case was not proved.

These details are damaging - and I’m told - have a lasting impact on the psyche of police officers.

Sarah Jones is asked if she can confidently say there is no two-tier policing in this country.

She stresses that everyone is equal under the law.

"In the majority of cases, the police are doing the right thing," she says.

Asked again if she agrees there are examples of two-tier policing, Jones says "we see examples of people making the wrong call in different ways".

"In the main, that is not what we see. To push a certain sort of agenda in this case is not helpful. We have to wait and see what the [Independent Office for Police Conduct] IOPC says."

After her appearance on BBC Breakfast, Policing Minister Sarah Jones is now speaking to Radio 4's Today programme.

Asked whether policing in the UK is getting it right on racism, Jones stresses that the foundation for the police is that "everybody is equal under the law".

On the police anti-racism commitment, which the National Police Chiefs' Council has said it will review, Jones says she thinks the language in the document is "wrong".

Asked directly whether it needs to change, and quickly, she says "yes".

Asked about the anti-racism guidelines, Sarah Jones says it is "right" that the National Police Chiefs' Council is reviewing them.

She adds it is "important" to say there has been a long history of racism in policing that needs to be acknowledged and make sure that it no longer exists.

"This document feels like it's not right," she says - later adding it's a "values document" rather than a training document.

She continues to say that officers are trained to run into danger and that their first duty is to protect life and treat everyone equally under the law.

"Anybody looking at that footage would question whether that was the right thing to do," she says as she underlines the IOPC investigation is being conducted.

She adds there is a "huge piece" of police reform ongoing currently and that this incident will form "quite an important part of how we think about that police reform going forward".

Policing Minister Sarah Jones echoes comments from PM Keir Starmer, saying police have "very serious questions to answer" over Henry Nowak's final moments.

She says that those who have seen the bodycam footage and heard the 999 call "have seen the disparity there and the way that Henry was treated in those last moments of his life".

"We don't have the full and complete picture," she says, adding "we need to get to the bottom of that".

Sarah Jones urges people to allow justice to take its course and "not allow this horrific, tragic case to lead to more hate and division".

She adds that she knows people's emotions will be running high and that an investigation is ongoing into what happened in the last minutes of Henry Nowak's life.

Asked what her message to protesters is, she says the violence towards police was "completely awful" yesterday evening.

Minister for Policing and Crime Sarah Jones tells BBC Breakfast that two arrests have been made relating to the violence and disorder that occurred during protests in Southampton last night.

"One [arrest] as I understand it for assaulting a police officer and one is for possession of a weapon," she says, calling the scenes "unacceptable".

Jones adds that police will be looking through drone footage and other footage to see if they need to make more arrests.

As a reminder, protesters and riot police were seen clashing near the home of Henry Nowak's killer after hundreds gathered to demonstrate in the city.

Sarah Jones, the policing minister, is about to speak to BBC Breakfast following demonstrations in Southampton yesterday evening.

Watch live at the top of the page, and follow along as we bring you the key lines.