How did one single social media post, taken down within hours for being false, still end up being viewed millions of times and presented as credible evidence about the Southport attack?

The fatal stabbings at a children’s dance class on 29 July sparked riots in England and Northern Ireland. Unrest was fuelled by misinformation on social media that the suspect was an illegal migrant.

Responsibility for the violence that ensued cannot be sourced to a single person or post – but the BBC has previously established a clear pattern of social media influencers driving a message for people to gather for protests.

In the hours immediately after the Southport attack, several posts from a mixture of sources – including self-styled news accounts – began sharing false claims. This misinformation soon merged together.