A Southampton MP has branded comments made by Hampshire’s police and crime commissioner ‘divisive and inflammatory’ after riots broke out across the country.

Rioting has spread across English towns and cities over the last week, beginning in Southport after last Monday’s stabbing in the Merseyside town which led to the death of three young girls.

Thugs in Portsmouth on Saturday hijacked a minute's silence to the victims of the Southport stabbings.

Crime commissioner Donna Jones has already been accused - by Eastleigh MP Liz Jarvis - of "attempting to justify the criminality" in riots sweeping the country.

In her statement the commissioner had said: "The commonality amongst the protest groups appears to be focused on three key areas - the desire to protect Britain’s sovereignty, the need to uphold British values and, in order to do this, stop illegal immigration.

“I’ve spoken to people from both sides of the spectrum and the only way to stem the tide of violent disorder, is to acknowledge what is causing it.”

Now Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur has criticised Ms Jones for her comments amid a backlash with calls for her to resign.

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Ms Kaur said: “I purposely won’t be sharing Hampshire PCC’s divisive and inflammatory statement regarding the recent hate riots nationally.

“It has angered and upset many, leaving communities I represent (and supposedly she) feeling unsafe. It’s a privilege to hold office, words matter.”

Ms Jones is the chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, with the statement on Saturday describing herself as the 'UK's most senior police commissioner'.

Around 344 people have been arrested across the country following the outbreak of violence last Tuesday.

Sir Keir Starmer has said a “standing army” of specialist police officers is being assembled to crack down on rioting, and he has perpetrators to be named and shamed.

On Sunday Ms Jones issued a new statement saying violence had 'infected lawful protest on a much broader issue' and that 'we should seek to understand (this) without letting it divide us'.

Axel Rudakubana, 17, from Cardiff, has been charged with the murders of three children in Southport along with 10 counts of attempted murder.