There can be no arguing the fact that the past week has been one of the darkest Britain has endured in recent years.

The unspeakable deaths of three little girls in Southport sent the nation into collective shock, with millions unable to comprehend how such a thing could happen anywhere, let alone here. We’ve since witnessed days of seemingly never ending violence and disorder, sparked by those who have used anger and misinformation to, once again, further their own destructive cause.

We’ve only been able to watch in disbelief as towns and cities that many of us know and love have been turned into battlegrounds with police being bombarded and property and businesses ransacked by thugs who appear to enjoy the opportunity to wreak havoc. It’s at times like these that it would be very easy for us to think that Britain really is broken, this time beyond all repair, but I think we’ve also seen enough to remind us that isn’t the case.

Every morning, since the middle of last week, we’ve seen the now familiar sight of small armies of volunteers with brushes, tools and a sackful of goodwill putting their towns back together, with many eager to tell the nation that the violence which came the day before didn’t in any way reflect their communities.

Local children sweep up the street outside a Mosque that was attacked during civil disorder in Southport. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

placeholder image — Local children sweep up the street outside a Mosque that was attacked during civil disorder in Southport. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

It's been over a decade since we have witnessed such levels of sustained unrest in this country but now, like then, it’s the majority’s response to the violence and destruction that truly matters. Decent people, they might be your friends or people you only know from social media, have stepped up to display a spirit many of us thought had evaporated since the pandemic four years ago.

Those who have set fire to wheelie bins or launched a brick in the direction of police officers in the past week don’t share the values that tens of millions of us hold dear and that’s why they will soon scuttle back into the shadows from where they came.

We live in a country where, despite what some would tell us, the right to protest peacefully still exists, which isn’t the case in many other countries around the world. It’s worth remembering that there are many reasons to celebrate being British, despite the best efforts of a relatively small number of people who are driven by hate. They don’t speak for the vast majority of us.