Nigella Lawson is leading donations to help rebuild Liverpool’s ‘library of the future’ which hosted a foodbank and helped get people into work after it was torched by far-right thugs.
The Spellow Hub Library was engulfed by flames on Saturday after shameless rioters set it alight during another night of ‘sickening’ violence that tore across the country.
More than 300 rioters, many of them masked, descended onto the streets of the deprived city suburb torching buildings and attacking police.
A large amount of donations, including from television food writer Nigella Lawson, have since poured in to help rebuild the community library after pictures of the aftermath showed its burnt interior.
Nigella Lawson was among those leading donations toward rebuilding the burnt down library
The Spellow Hub library was torched by violent masked protestors in another night of violence that has spread across the country
Bookshelves were pictured tipped on their side, with books burnt to ashes, and glass surrounded the few remaining computers.
The Spellow Hub was only reopened last year after months of fundraising, and had been aimed at providing education and opportunities for people in what is one of the most deprived communities in the country.
It had been helping to get people into work and had doubled up as a foodbank.
This morning, the fundraiser – which had an initial target of £500 – had already raised £45,000, with the campaign drawing support from some famous names as well.
Television food writer and cook Nigella Lawson has donated £500 to the cause, while screenwriter and novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce has also donated to the fund.
Rioters continued to cause havoc after torching the building. As firefighters tried to put out the flames, rioters threw a missile at the engine, before breaking the rear window of a nearby cab.
The burning of the library caused fury and upset across the nation as donations poured in to help rebuild the site
Pictures inside the trashed Spellow Library show burnt books, broken furniture and glass surrounding one remaining computer
One officers was shoved off his motorbike, while another was looked after by colleagues after appearing shell-shocked following a violent confrontation with a ‘protester’.
News of the arson attack on the library has caused fury and sadness around the country.
Staff, volunteers and local people have been helping to clean up the damage, and the fundraiser is aimed at getting the centre back on its feet, and replacing any equipment and books that may have been lost.
Launching the fundraiser, Alex McCormick wrote: ‘Our city is a sad place at the minute, much like the rest of the country.
‘But it makes me heartbroken to think that children will miss out on an opportunity to read and explore new books and stories in a community space which is meant to be safe for them and their families, especially over the summer holidays.
‘I’d like to fundraise for the Spellow Library, to hopefully replenish some of the books which were damaged in last nights mindless riots, and repair the space for those who need and use it the most.
‘Our children should be able to find solace and joy in books and reading, and have a nice place to do it. Let’s try and make that happen again and show the world what community in Liverpool really means.’
Pictures of the aftermath show burnt wheelie bins outside Spellow Library
Speaking about the damage to library and the violence on Saturday, Liverpool council leader Liam Robinson said: ‘It was absolutely heartbreaking.
‘This is a facility that, despite austerity, we have invested in to try and create a positive hub for the local community, which gives opportunities and support for what is a deprived community. We are heading there today to assess the damage and we will be determined to restore the facility for the community. We won’t let mindless thugs ruin things for the community.’
He added: ‘What we saw in Liverpool city centre and later on in County Road was heartbreaking, despicable and not representative of our brilliant city.
‘These were the actions of a small minority of mindless thugs, rampaging through the city centre and then causing wanton destruction in County Road and it is utterly unacceptable. The intelligence we had from Merseyside Police is that yes there were far right agitators in the city but some locals were involved.’
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram added: ‘Who do these people think they are representing? It is not the families of those killed in Southport and it is not the majority of the people in this city region.
‘This was thuggery and violence from people who wanted to take an opportunity to cause chaos and acts of wanton vandalism.’
