I try to avoid most social media; I have to make an exception for my community Facebook group as that's now the main source of local information. So I was blissfully ignorant of what had appeared on social media about the Southport stabbings. In fact, when the 10pm News showed a Mosque being attacked, I couldn't understand why; I was further confused by people then attacking immigration hostels.

Because the man who has been charged with stabbing those people in Southport wasn't Muslim, and wasn't an immigrant. From what I've subsequently learned, he was born in Cardiff and his family are Christians.

But those who chose to riot and loot, and throw missiles at the Police, aren't really the type of people to let facts get in their way, are they?!

Furthermore, would these riots have even taken place if, for example, the World Cup or Euros were on, and if it was raining? Probably not - it would seem some base their so-called ideology on whether they're bored and if the weather is reasonable!

placeholder image — Photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash

I'm a proud second-generation immigrant - my Mother was born overseas; my paternal Grandfather, who during the war worked in Corby Steelworks, was born overseas too. I happen to be white, but I'm still second-gen.

As I would imagine a lot of people around here are when they think about it, and think about their extended families, and their neighbours, and realise that we've all come from somewhere, at sometime, and found ourselves in this usually tolerant and accepting society called the United Kingdom.

I am disgusted by the behaviour I witnessed on the nightly News; I cling to the hope that this isn't representative of the views of the majority of good people in this country.

But remembering the words of Edmund Burke - 'the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing' - we must unite to root out racism and extinguish extremism in all its hideous guises.

Don't believe everything you read on social media - their users don't seem to abide by the same laws as British newspaper and television news, and sadly it would appear the companies are not taking responsibility for the misinformation they've spread either.