CHILLING footage shows a thug punching a “black or ethnic” man in the face as Hartlepool erupted into violence last night.
Riots broke out in the Teesside town last night – with yobs torching a police car and hurling bricks at cops.
A TikTok livestream shows a lone man described by cops as “black or ethnic” past rioters down a street in the centre of Hartlepool.
As the man reaches the end of the street, he turns to avoid the violence – before a thug is seen punching him in the face.
The man stumbles back while a group of thugs are heard laughing and yelling racist slurs at him.
He was eventually forced to walk back the direction he came for his own safety.
Cops are now probing the chilling assault, which appears to be racially motivated.
Cleveland Police said: “Detectives are investigating an assault towards a young boy of black or ethnic origin.
“Mobile phone footage that was posted on social media showed he had been punched to the face.”
A spokesperson added: “It is believed to have occurred on Lowthian Road.
“Detectives are urging him, or anyone who may know who he is, to come forward and contact police on 101.”
The violence in Hartlepool came just hours after more than 100 people were arrested at a similar stand-off outside Downing Street.
Horror footage showed the violent clash at its peak – with cops in riot suits battling to hold the masses at bay.
Bricks and bottles were lobbed at the police, as they fought to push the crowds back.
In another shocking clip a blaze could be seen tearing through a cop car – the second that has been set alight in two days.
A massive bang was heard as its fuel tank went up in flames, eventually leaving the car a charred shell.
Cleveland Police confirmed that eleven people have been arrested for various offences including public order and affray.
Several officers suffered injuries after missiles were launched by yobs amid the chaos.
The riots came after three young girls were killed in a rampage at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport on Monday.
The mum of victim Elsie Stancombe has condemned the riots and urged protesters to stop.
Jenni Stancombe said: “This is the only thing that I will write, but please stop the violence in Southport tonight.
“The police have been nothing but heroic these last 24 hours and they and we don’t need this.”
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana was today named as the teen charged over the knife attack in the Merseyside town.
Rudakubana was unmasked after a judge lifted reporting restrictions just days before his 18th birthday.
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar were knifed to death in the mass stabbing in Southport.
Eight other children suffered stab wounds in the horror, with five in a stable condition in hospital along with two adults.
Rudakubana, 17, rocked back and forth in the dock as he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today charged with three counts of murder.
He is also accused of ten counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article – a curved kitchen knife used in the attack.
