Vehicles on fire in Leeds.
Credit: X/@BGatesIsaPyscho
London: A double-decker bus was set on fire and a police vehicle was overturned amid stone-pelting and disorder as a riot broke out in Leeds, northern England, over what the local council has described as a “family incident”.
“It has quietened, it is calm. We have already started the clean up on the ground,” Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan told the BBC on Friday.
Asked about the trigger behind the rioting on Thursday night, he added: “There was a family incident earlier in the day that police and our officials attended that the local community got concerned about and that appeared to be the trigger of concern for the groups of people... we always intervene where we need to when children are at risk. It was an incident that was probably misinterpreted, I would say.”
Earlier, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper took to social media to say she was “appalled” at the shocking scenes and attacks on police vehicles and public transport overnight as West Yorkshire Police flooded the Harehills area of Leeds to bring the situation under control.
“Disorder of this nature has no place in our society,” said Cooper.
Social media footage showed hundreds on the streets, including some incidents of men attempting to torch public transport vehicles. The police said there have been no reports of any serious injuries and warned that the “full weight of the law” will be brought against those responsible for what they have termed as a “serious public order incident”.
“We would strongly discourage residents from speculating on the cause of this disorder which we believe has been instigated by a criminal minority intent on disrupting community relations,” a West Yorkshire Police statement said.
“Officers are also reviewing footage which has circulated on social media showing offending. All criminal offences, including damage to vehicles from fire, will be fully investigated by detectives from Leeds CID and the force’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team,” the statement added.
West Yorkshire Police are setting up a “specialised website” to allow reports to be made to encourage the public to share information and footage from the disorder.
“Such criminal behaviour will not be tolerated and I am in touch with West Yorkshire Police for regular updates on the progress of their investigation. I would urge everyone to refrain from speculation on social media and if members of the public believe they have footage of criminal behaviour, I would ask for this to be passed on to the police,” said Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire.
“I am relieved that nobody was seriously hurt in this incident – we will provide any support we can to the people of Harehills following the violence perpetrated in their community,” she said.