There was "no evidence" of "two-tier policing" in the summer unrest following Axel Rudakubana's murder spree in Southport, a new report has said.
The Home Affairs Committee has released the results of a new probe into police forces' response to the disorder in the wake of the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July.
It said there was no evidence of "two-tier policing" in officers' handling of the levels of violence and criminality during the period - and branded claims to the contrary "baseless" and "disgraceful".
MPs in the Committee, led by Tory MP Dame Karen Bradley, said: "This was not protest.
"Those participating in disorder were not policed more strongly because of their supposed political views but because they were throwing missiles, assaulting police officers and committing arson.
"It was disgraceful to see the police officers who bore the brunt of this violence being undermined by baseless claims of 'two-tier policing'."
During the summer, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said that "ever since the soft policing of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, the impression of two-tier policing has become widespread" in Britain.
He later said that "most of us think that ethnic minority groups are policed entirely differently to that of white British people".
'TWO-TIER POLICING' - READ MORE:
By January 22 this year, 1,804 arrests had been made, and there were 1,072 charges from the riots - with the majority for serious public order offences, the report said.
In total, 246 events of protests, counter-protests and incidents of disorder took place, including 88 seen as "significant".
The report also said that there were gaps in intelligence linked to social media and the dark web - and MPs have once again demanded tighter restrictions on social media as a result.
The Committee also recommended a "boosted ability" for police to monitor and respond to social media at a national level.
It said the Crown Prosecution Service and Merseyside Police were limited on what they could publish about the initially-unnamed murderer Axel Rudakubana by the Contempt of Court Act 1981 - which prevents the publication of information that could prejudice criminal proceedings.
They welcomed a review into the law by the Law Commission, which published a consultation paper last month to consider "whether there should be contempt of court liability for those who risk prejudicing a criminal trial by releasing information in the interests of public safety or national security".
Bradley added: "It is a grim reality that bad actors sought to exploit the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded in Southport. The criminal justice system will need to ensure its approach to communication is fit for the social media age.
"Lessons must be learned from how the whole criminal justice system worked together.
"It will need to ensure that police forces can improve how they deal with regular policing work as well as supporting them to develop capacity to respond to crises.
"The Government's plans for police reform will be especially important for making sure national policing structures support forces effectively in emergencies."
Reacting to the report, Shadow Policing Minister Matt Vickers said: "Serious questions remain about the Government's lack of transparency.
"From day one, the Government has ducked accountability whilst ministers have hidden behind legal technicalities instead of levelling with the public.
"Confusion and silence allowed conspiracy to thrive, and trust in the authorities was shattered by a Government that refused to come clean."
A Home Office spokesman said: "It is always important that we always learn lessons, and we are working closely with policing to improve national decision-making, and to ensure that officers get the support they need to keep our streets safe.
"We also agree social media has put well-established principles around how we communicate after attacks like this under strain, and we must be able to tackle misinformation head on.
"That is why we have asked the Law Commission to carry out a review into the rules around Contempt of Court as soon as possible."
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The Home Affairs Committee has released the results of a new probe into police forces' response to the disorder in the wake of the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July.
It said there was no evidence of "two-tier policing" in officers' handling of the levels of violence and criminality during the period - and branded claims to the contrary "baseless" and "disgraceful".
MPs in the Committee, led by Tory MP Dame Karen Bradley, said: "This was not protest.
"Those participating in disorder were not policed more strongly because of their supposed political views but because they were throwing missiles, assaulting police officers and committing arson.
"It was disgraceful to see the police officers who bore the brunt of this violence being undermined by baseless claims of 'two-tier policing'."
During the summer, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said that "ever since the soft policing of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, the impression of two-tier policing has become widespread" in Britain.
He later said that "most of us think that ethnic minority groups are policed entirely differently to that of white British people".
'TWO-TIER POLICING' - READ MORE:
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By January 22 this year, 1,804 arrests had been made, and there were 1,072 charges from the riots - with the majority for serious public order offences, the report said.
In total, 246 events of protests, counter-protests and incidents of disorder took place, including 88 seen as "significant".
The report also said that there were gaps in intelligence linked to social media and the dark web - and MPs have once again demanded tighter restrictions on social media as a result.
The Committee also recommended a "boosted ability" for police to monitor and respond to social media at a national level.
It said the Crown Prosecution Service and Merseyside Police were limited on what they could publish about the initially-unnamed murderer Axel Rudakubana by the Contempt of Court Act 1981 - which prevents the publication of information that could prejudice criminal proceedings.
They welcomed a review into the law by the Law Commission, which published a consultation paper last month to consider "whether there should be contempt of court liability for those who risk prejudicing a criminal trial by releasing information in the interests of public safety or national security".
Bradley added: "It is a grim reality that bad actors sought to exploit the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded in Southport. The criminal justice system will need to ensure its approach to communication is fit for the social media age.
"Lessons must be learned from how the whole criminal justice system worked together.
"It will need to ensure that police forces can improve how they deal with regular policing work as well as supporting them to develop capacity to respond to crises.
"The Government's plans for police reform will be especially important for making sure national policing structures support forces effectively in emergencies."
Reacting to the report, Shadow Policing Minister Matt Vickers said: "Serious questions remain about the Government's lack of transparency.
"From day one, the Government has ducked accountability whilst ministers have hidden behind legal technicalities instead of levelling with the public.
"Confusion and silence allowed conspiracy to thrive, and trust in the authorities was shattered by a Government that refused to come clean."
A Home Office spokesman said: "It is always important that we always learn lessons, and we are working closely with policing to improve national decision-making, and to ensure that officers get the support they need to keep our streets safe.
"We also agree social media has put well-established principles around how we communicate after attacks like this under strain, and we must be able to tackle misinformation head on.
"That is why we have asked the Law Commission to carry out a review into the rules around Contempt of Court as soon as possible."
Find Out More...