The events in Southport this week have been truly shocking, and my prayers go out to all those affected by this abominable act. I simply cannot imagine the heartache these people are dealing with. It’s beyond my comprehension why someone would do such a thing. Young children at a Taylor Swift themed event enjoying the start of the school holidays to be attacked like this is utterly heart breaking.

I’m not going to talk more about the specific incident as it’s now up to the legal system to make sure justice is done for the victims, their families and the wider community. We don’t need vigilantes.

Like most people I was also truly shocked by the subsequent violence which ensued after the peaceful vigil in the town. Dozens of people mostly from outside the area chose to take the streets throwing bottles and bricks at a local mosque and at the police who were simply trying to keep order. The same police who only hours earlier were dealing with the shocking events I mentioned above.

As if the community didn’t have enough to deal with, grieving the murder of three little children and injuries to many more, when these thugs turn up looking to cause trouble.

It’s since spread to other towns and Downing Street as well. Whatever our grievances, we can’t have mob rule. Legitimate protest and demonstration are part of our rights in this country but when it turns into violence, we must stop.

These thugs who want immigrants to “go home” need to realise these people in many cases were born here or have come to work in our NHS etc. We need immigration - yes, it should be controlled better - but we need immigration. I’m a descendent of an Irish immigrant. Should I go back to Ireland? Or am I okay because I’m white?

We must do all we can to integrate people into our society and not throw bricks at them.

A lot of this is being fuelled by inaccurate posts on social media, some posted by very well-known people. I was going to say they should know better but I think they know exactly what they’re posting. It’s been suggested that some of the posts are put up by other countries trying to stir up division.

The trouble is, unlike mainstream media such as the BBC and the EADT, no one is fact checking these posts before they go up. Deliberate lies get posted and shared and people believe them. That’s got to stop.

I’m on X but what I read every day appals me. It has become a cesspit of hatred, abuse, division, racism and much more. I believe in free speech but when it stirs up the above, we’ve got to do something about it.

It’s owner Elon Musk seems happy for it to be a free for all, but it isn’t. The rules of libel and defamation apply on X just as they do anywhere. So be careful what you post!

Governments have tried take on these social media giants, but they don’t seem to want to play ball. I think some of the owners are starting to look like Bond villains. If X won’t do anything to sort out these fake accounts and ones stirring up violence and hatred, then perhaps it’s time the site was shut down. I think the world would be a much happier place.

Going back to Southport, I’ve talked before about knife crime but now it seems like it’s an epidemic sweeping our country. It’s not just knives people are carrying but machete’s too, why? There’s not a day goes by when it seems someone loses their life in a stabbing. It has got to stop. It can’t just be left to the police. It’s a societal problem for us all to sort out.

It's time now not only to talk tough but act tough too. We must support our police and not abuse them for just doing their job. We need more of them and quickly. We need the judicial system to act quickly too but, sadly, after 14 years of Tory rule both have been badly cut. We’re now reaping what the Conservatives sowed or should that be "cut". We need youth clubs open again and above all we need to offer people hope and not hopelessness. I pray this happens soon before we see more mass loss of life and more violence on our streets.