Painter handed longest sentence over British riots so far as he is jailed for nine years

Undated handout photo issued by South Yorkshire Police of painter and decorator Thomas Birley (South Yorkshire Police/PA).

A painter and decorator who fuelled a fire outside a hotel housing hundreds of asylum seekers in Rotherham has been handed the longest prison sentence so far over the riots in August.

Thomas Birley was jailed for nine years, with an extended licence period of five years, at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.