Rioters branded as TERRORISTS by ex-Met counter-terror chief as outcry over carnage on streets of Britain escalates

It comes after police were hit with petrol bombs and bricks last night.

More than 400 people have been arrested following rioting across England and Northern Ireland.

"I think we have seen serious acts of violence designed to cause terror to a section of our community," Basu told the BBC.

The former Met chief also urged the Government to take action of the riots - which were sparked by "lies spread through social media".

Basu condemned Tommy Robinson - real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - for "glorifying and creating violence from his sunbed in the Mediterranean".

He added: "Yaxley-Lennon knows well he’s in the full glare of policing, counter-terrorism policing, and the security service.

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"He has spent many years skirting round various fringes of the law.

"He has been able to inflame and toxify debates and create the kind of mayhem we’re seeing.

"If he is not crossing a legal threshold, then the government and society need to consider if that threshold is in the wrong place."

It follows comments made by Elon Musk in which he said "civil war is inevitable" as rioting in the UK continues.

Britain's justice minister, Heidi Alexander hit back at his comments saying that Musk's post was "deeply irresponsible".

"If you have got a platform, a large social media platform, then you have also got a responsibility," she told the Times Radio.

She said it was “deeply irresponsible” and that “everyone should be appealing for calm”.

Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman also slammed the billionaire's remarks, saying that there is “no justification for comments like that”.