14.—(1) Where—

(a) 12 or more persons who are present together at any place (whether that place is a public place or a private place or both) use or threaten to use unlawful violence for a common purpose, and

(b) the conduct of those persons, taken together, is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at that place to fear for his or another person's safety,

then, each of the persons using unlawful violence for the common purpose shall be guilty of the offence of riot.

(2) For the purposes of this section—

(a) it shall be immaterial whether or not the 12 or more persons use or threaten to use unlawful violence simultaneously at any place;

(b) the common purpose may be inferred from conduct;

(c) no person of reasonable firmness need actually be, or be likely to be, present at that place.

(3) A person guilty of an offence of riot shall be liable on conviction on indictment to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both.

(4) The common law offence of riot is hereby abolished.