The youngest of those to appear in court was a 14-year-old boy - who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age.

He said he understood how “foolish and silly” he had been after pleading guilty to violent disorder over the rioting in Liverpool city centre, a court heard.

Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard the teenager, from Liverpool, was part of a group of eight to 12 males who were lighting fireworks and setting them off in the direction of members of the public and police officers near a branch of B&M in Clayton Square that had already been looted on Saturday night.

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His lawyer Iqbal Singh Kang said the incident was “completely out of character for him and his family”. The boy’s father and uncle were in court.

He said the youngster went to the city centre to catch a bus and amid the “widescale disorder across the city became involved with people he didn’t know who were offering out various fireworks”.

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A 69-year-old welder, the oldest to appear in court so far, has admitted his role in Saturday’s riots in Liverpool, where he came armed with a wooden bat.

William Nelson Morgan, from Walton, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.

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Two brothers appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court accused of crimes relating to a library which was set on fire during the riots.

28-year-old Adam Wharton appeared first, admitting burglary with intent to steal from the Spellow Lane Library Hub, which suffered severe damage to the ground floor due to the fire.

The library was opened last year to provide support for one of the most deprived communities in the country.

Wharton, who has 16 previous convictions for 26 offences, including robbery and burglary, stood in the dock at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court wearing a grey, prison-issue tracksuit.

As he left the dock, Wharton said: “Nice one, shitty arse judge man.”