Five people have been detained after violent incidents on the outskirts of Leeds, with police warning that further arrests will be made as part of a “relentless” investigation.
West Yorkshire Police said the incident took place in Harehills, in the east of the city, on Thursday evening, when officers responded to reports that a social worker dealing with child protection issues had experienced hostility.
Deputy Commissioner Pat Twiggs said officers were attacked and evacuated social service workers to safety before the incident escalated, with vehicles being destroyed and set on fire.
Specialist security personnel were then deployed, but were met with a “barrage of bricks and missiles” from the crowd.
Twiggs said the decision was made to temporarily withdraw officers to ease tensions after it became clear that police were the only targets.
In an update on Friday night, he said: “We have made a number of arrests and five people in custody in connection with the disturbance that occurred in Harehills last night.”
“Officers from the Large Scale Investigation Team are continuing to rapidly investigate the circumstances surrounding the disturbance and are deploying teams to make arrests of those identified.”
“We are making arrests and will continue to do so over the next few days,” he continued.
“We will be relentless in our investigation of those responsible for the criminal activity that took place in Harehills and I urge them to do the right thing and hand themselves over to police while they have the opportunity.”
“I would send the same message to the parents of the young people involved in this incident to contact police immediately.”
The Home Secretary said those responsible should face the “full force of the law” for their “brazen criminal acts”.
Yvette Cooper gave the interview to the BBC in Leeds, where she met officers from West Yorkshire Police and local community leaders.
Asked about community anger and social media posts showing children being dragged from their homes, she said: “I think what we saw last night was a crime scene with buses being set on fire and police vehicles being attacked. We’ve also seen some issues around misinformation around police having to deal with complex child protection cases.”
She said people would also have seen “truly shocking scenes of audacious criminal behaviour” on social media.
On Thursday night, residents were warned to stay at home and a bus was set on fire and a police car was overturned as large numbers of police officers and a helicopter were dispatched to the scene.
Four officers were guarding the scene around the torched bus on Foundry Approach on Friday morning.
Some residents had gathered to view the damage, while a group of visibly emotional people, possibly connected to the original incident, sat on the grass nearby.
Green Party councillor for Gipton and Harehills, Motin Ali, described the scenes as “utter mayhem” and called on local residents to remain calm and united after the incident.
Speaking to reporters at the scene on Friday, he said: “It was total pandemonium at the scene. It was very chaotic. We were trying to hide the police and act as human shields because they had no helmets, they had no shields and they were getting pelted with bricks and bottles. So we were trying to calm people down and act as a protective barrier.”
Mr Ali said the local neighbourhood policing team had been “absolutely brilliant” and aimed to “de-escalate” but that officers had made a mistake by withdrawing after the initial incident.
“It wasn’t our intention to antagonize things or make them disappear. In hindsight you can criticize it, but at the time of making the decision it was tough,” he said.
“I don’t know who was responsible, but I would like to speak to them.”
Ali said police were “out of numbers and without support” during the unrest, adding that arrests should be made “with certainty.”
“Some people were legitimately angry, but some people just wanted to cause trouble,” he said.
“Justified anger is appropriate, but attacking a bus carrying innocent people is not appropriate.”
“I just hope that everybody stays calm. I hope that everybody remembers that we are one community. Our city has a lot of trash that needs to be cleaned up, so let’s come together and stick together.”
A man who has lived in the area for more than 20 years said he was leaving his house about 7pm on Thursday when he saw people throwing bricks and stones at a police vehicle.
“The police were trying to fight back but we had to get back in the van,” said Paul, who asked to be known only by his first name.
“The most shocking part was when the bus exploded and caught fire. There was a loud noise and everyone ran away.
“I don’t like the idea of kids being in a place like this. It’s weird.”
“I think it was just one incident and then everyone jumped on board. It wasn’t just one specific person who did it, but I think everyone just saw it as an excuse to attack the police.”
Mr Paul said he feared unrest would break out again on Friday night, adding: “I think the unrest will start again because tensions are still there. Tensions are still there.”
One woman, who asked not to be named, told the PA news agency she had been walking a friend home when she heard an explosion from the torched bus and suffered a panic attack.
Her friend told the PA news agency: “I was scared they would come onto our street and set all the cars on fire and maybe even my house.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she fully supported police in taking “the strongest possible action” against rioters.
She said in a statement: “The scenes of crime and disorder in Leeds last night, including attacks on police vehicles and public transport, were disgraceful and will have been extremely distressing for local people.”
“Those responsible must be brought to the fullest extent of the law and I support West Yorkshire Police in pursuing those responsible and taking the strongest possible action.”
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracey Brabin condemned the “violent and thoughtless acts”, adding that “criminal behaviour like this will not be tolerated”.
In a statement she said: “I am truly appalled by the violent and thoughtless acts witnessed in Harehills last night.”
Leesa, a pharmacy dispenser, who did not want to give her surname, told PA she witnessed “quite violent” scenes and saw people throwing objects at police officers and cars.
A 26-year-old man, who lives nearby in Harehills Lane, said: “They were attacking the police vehicle and throwing things at it – anything they could pick up off the floor – stones from the garden, rubbish, drink, anything.”
She said she then heard “screams and screams” from outside, which she said sounded like “about 1,000 people.”
She said she saw “a big plume of black smoke coming from the main road” as rioters “pulled trash cans from people’s shops and homes and put the bins full of rubbish in the middle of the road and set them on fire.”
release date: Radio News Hub
