A Citizens Advice office in Sunderland has been badly damaged in a fire after violent riots erupted across the country over the weekend.

The riots, which have been associated with far-right groups, took place in the wake of the fatal stabbing of three young girls at a dance class in Southport last week. The disorder was fuelled by false reports that the suspect was an asylum seeker, which spread on social media.

Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old who was born in Cardiff, Wales, was named after reporting restrictions were lifted and appeared at Liverpool Crown Court last week charged with three counts of murder, 10 attempted murders and possession of a curved kitchen knife. 

A Children in Need advert from 2018 that featured Rudakubana, aged 11, dressed as Doctor Who, was removed from the BBC’s websites on Saturday (3 August), after reports from the Daily Mail.

Since the stabbing, violent anti-immigration riots have broken out across a number of UK cities, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned as “far-right thuggery”. 

Rioters in Sunderland attacked police officers and damaged buildings and mosques on Friday evening, in what Northumbria Police described as an “appalling incident”.

The office of Citizens Advice Sunderland, which is located next to the Sunderland Central Police Office, was badly damaged during the riots, with videos on social media showing the building in flames as firefighters attended the scene.

Denise Irving, chief officer at Citizens Advice Sunderland, said that the situation was “devastating” for the local community, saying: “Our primary focus will be ensuring we can continue to support those who need our help.”

Citizens Advice Sunderland has moved its staff and volunteers to Sunderland’s City Hall temporarily as the damage at Waterloo Place is investigated, Irving said. The charity’s second office, at the Washington Galleries in Sunderland, was open as usual, she added.

A GoFundMe page has already raised more than £10,000 to help the charity repair the damages to the building.

Let's help Citizens Advice Sunderland rebuild after the horrific riots. They need our support now more than ever. Please donate, like, comment, and share to spread the word. Every bit helps! https://t.co/yqjFGIJPPV

— Citizens Advice Woking (@WokingCA) August 5, 2024

Citizens Advice, the national body for Citizens Advice charities, told Third Sector that it was unable to comment on the harm caused since the damages were still being assessed, but posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Sunderland office was “badly damaged”.

The charity said it was working with the team in Sunderland to provide support and “help them be there for the people who need advice going forward”.

Claire Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said in a post on X that the incident was “heartbreaking”, adding: “Repairing the physical damage in Sunderland will be a huge job but what's really important is the services they provide.”

In its latest update, published last night, Northumbria Police said it had made a total of 14 arrests following the “disgraceful scenes witnessed last Friday evening”.

Six of those arrested have been charged: four men, aged 48, 41, 31 and 29, and one woman, aged 43, have been charged with violent disorder; and one man aged 27 has been charged with one count of violent disorder and one count of burglary.

Mark Hall, chief superintendent and area commander for Sunderland, said: “We will absolutely not tolerate the behaviour seen in Sunderland city centre, now, or ever, and will do our utmost to trace those responsible and have them brought to justice.”

He added: “I would like to reassure the public that our investigative efforts will not stop and further arrests are expected in the coming days.”