King Charles expresses his “heartfelt thanks” to the police in a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister after days of unrest and violent riots

The King has expressed his “heartfelt thanks” to the police for restoring order after a week of unrest and riots across the UK following the stabbings in Southport.

In a phone call with Sir Keir Starmer on Friday evening, Charles was updated on ongoing plans to restore order as further demonstrations are planned for this weekend.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, Chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), and UK Gold Commander Ben Harrington, Chief Constable of Essex Police, held a separate joint telephone conversation with the King.

“In these calls, His Majesty was updated on the current situation and expressed his heartfelt thanks to the police and emergency services for all they are doing to restore peace in areas affected by violent unrest,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

The king is also said to have said how encouraged he had been by the many examples of community spirit that had countered the aggression and criminality of a few with the compassion and resilience of the many.

The spokesman added: “His Majesty remains hopeful that the shared values ​​of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation.”

It is understood that the monarch could make some sort of visit to the areas directly affected by the unrest, but this would only take place under circumstances that would avoid placing additional strain on police resources.

At a Cobra meeting on Thursday evening, Starmer reiterated that the police should remain on “high alert” this weekend. At the beginning of the week, 6,000 additional law enforcement officers had already been mobilised to remain on site.

The audiences with the king took place in a week in which unrest across Britain is slowly subsiding.

More and more people involved in the riots appeared in courtrooms across the United Kingdom.

Sir Keir said there was “no doubt” that the swift verdict had “acted as a deterrent” and prevented further unrest that had been expected on Wednesday evening but did not materialise.

Around 741 people have now been arrested and 302 of them have been charged. The reason was unrest in parts of the country following the deaths of three young girls in Southport on July 29, the NPCC said.

The violence first broke out outside a mosque in the Merseyside town last Tuesday, with police officers being pelted with bricks and bottles, before spreading across the country.