A man whose image went viral when he was hit in the head and groin by bricks during the summer riots was arrested after being recognised by police at A&E, The Telegraph can reveal.
The man was injured during the disorder in Southport that followed the fatal knife attack on three girls attending a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in the Merseyside town on July 29.
A video uploaded to social media showed a man wearing a grey tracksuit approaching a line of riot police who were being pelted with missiles.
As he got close to the line of officers a brick hurled from the crowd hit him on the back of the head, causing him to stumble away. Holding his head, he began to walk back towards the crowd before a second brick hit him in the groin area.
The man, clearly in pain, was helped away to safety with blood coming from a head wound.
It is understood he later attended an A&E unit where he was spotted by police officers who were being treated for injuries sustained in the riots.
A source told The Telegraph: “The officers who were at the A&E had seen the footage, which had already gone viral, and immediately recognised the man who was waiting to be treated. It definitely was not his lucky day because, after he was seen by doctors, he was then arrested on suspicion of being involved in the disorder.”
A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: “I can confirm that the male was arrested and is currently on bail.”
The investigation into the rioting that followed the Southport attack is continuing. More than 1,500 people have been arrested and a total of 960 charges have been brought for a range of offences.
