LONDON

A former British counter-terrorism chief has condemned rioters as "bullies and cowards," saying the worst of the far-right violence in England this weekend should be treated as terrorism.

More than 370 people have been arrested since the violence erupted last week as rioters, called "far-right thugs" by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, clashed with police officers, looted shops and stormed hotels housing asylum seekers.

Neil Basu said the Sunday's hotel riot in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, while people were still inside, was an attempt at "a modern-day lynching," and should be treated as terrorism.

"Not only does it fit the definition of terrorism, it is terrorism. It's nothing short of an attempt at a modern-day lynching," he told The Guardian on Monday.

Basu, who was the chief of Counter Terrorism Policing in 2018-2021, suggested that those rioters should be facing life imprisonment, not a five-year sentence for violent disorder.

He went on to say that trying to set ablaze a building with people inside is an act of violence against people and property with a "racial cause designed to intimidate a section of the public – be it Muslims or asylum seekers."

On Sunday, the former police chief told BBC Radio that he looked closely at “right wing terrorism” when he was the head of counter terrorism.

However, he noted that they "had an issue" when he was the head of the unit with the previous administration because "they didn't like the term right wing terrorism."

He further said that when they suggested far-right terrorism, "they didn't like that either" because, Basu added that those who oppose the term argued that far-right is a "legitimate political position."

On Sunday, a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, a town in South Yorkshire, was targeted by far-right rioters on the sixth day of violent disorder, leaving it damaged and people in shock.

Rioters threw planks of wood at officers and sprayed them with fire extinguishers before smashing hotel windows to gain access to the premises as riots continued to escalate across England.

Around 700 people took part in the riots where they set a generator and a large bin close to a window of the hotel alight, causing a small fire.

Some 10 police officers have been injured as a result of the violence, with one left unconscious due to a head injury.

The ongoing violent disorder started on July 30, a day after the arrest of Axel Rudakubana, 17, who is charged with the murder of three minors and the attempted murder of 10 others over stabbing in Southport.

Despite Rudakubana's background as a Cardiff-born person with Rwandan heritage, inaccurate online claims suggested that Rudakubana was a Muslim refugee who had recently arrived in the UK, fueling further tensions.