Police have so far made five arrests over a major disturbance in a Leeds suburb that the home secretary has condemned as “audacious criminality”.
West Yorkshire Police battled the “serious disorder incident” in the Harehills estate as officers faced a barrage of bricks and missiles from a large crowd that gathered in the street on Thursday night.
Footage on social media showed vehicles, including a double-decker bus, on fire while other videos showed an overturned police car on the road with its blue lights flashing.
Speaking to the BBC in Leeds the following day, Yvette Cooper vowed that those responsible for the violent disorder will “feel the full force of the law”.
In an update on the ongoing investigation, Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said the force had been called to a report of social workers being met with “hostility” while dealing with a child protection matter. He said officers were attacked as they helped the staff to safety.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also condemned the disorder, calling it “shocking and disgraceful”.
Are you at the scene or wish to share how this impacted you? Email tara.cobham@independent.co.uk
Key Points
- West Yorkshire Police make five arrests
- Home secretary condemns violent disorder in Leeds as ‘audacious criminality’
- Leeds City Council agree to undertake ‘urgent review’ of ‘family matter’
- Nigel Farage accused of ‘inflaming situation with misinformation'
- Hero councillor stopped people throwing items on fire
Nigel Farage sparks anger over ‘inflammatory’ Leeds riot comments
09:30
Tara Cobham
Nigel Farage has been accused of inflaming tensions after blaming rioting in Leeds on the “politics of the subcontinent”.
The Reform UK leader, who was in the US for the Republican National Convention in Minnesota, posted on social media on Thursday evening as scenes of disorder in the city emerged.
“The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds,” he wrote on X within hours: “Don’t say I didn’t warn you”.
Archie Mitchell reports:
Watch: Home secretary condemns violent disorder in Leeds
09:00
Tara Cobham
Police warn further arrests will be made as part of ‘relentless’ investigation
08:02
Tara Cobham
Police have warned further arrests will be made as part of a “relentless” investigation.
Five people have so far been taken into custody after the scenes of violent disorder in the Leeds suburb.
Resident saw people throwing bricks and stones at a police van
07:00
Athena Stavrou
From the scene in Harehills this morning, Press Association has spoken to people who live in the area.
Paul, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, said he left his house at around 7pm on Thursday to see people throwing bricks and stones at a police van.
Paul, who asked to be referred to by his first name only, said: “The police were trying to stand their ground but they had to get back in the van.”
He said he was concerned because “I’ve got kids and you don’t know how far people are going to take it”.
He said: “The most shocking thing was when the bus went up – got set on fire. There was a bang and everybody ran. I don’t like my kids being around this. It’s just not right.
“It was just that one incident and then I think everybody jumped on the bandwagon. I don’t think it was one particular people, I think everybody thought it was an excuse to have a go at the police.”
The hero councillor who formed a human shield to stop violence escalating in Leeds riots
06:00
Athena Stavrou
A councillor has been hailed as a hero after attempting to calm the violent scenes which erupted on Thursday night in Leeds.
Mothin Ali, Green Party councillor for Gipton and Harehills ward, said he returned home at 3am on Friday morning after trying to stop people from throwing objects and adding to the already raging fires.
He was filmed dramatically kicking away a wheelie bin being dragged towards a fire by two young people - one wearing a balaclava - and with the other hand, stopping another adult from throwing a wooden pallet onto the fire.
Appealing for calm the morning after the violence, he told The Independent: “The police weren’t around. I don’t want to criticise them but they left the scene and tried to come back and establish control - but they were being pelted with bricks and bottles and were chased off.
Read the full interview here:
Pictures: Harehills riots
05:00
Athena Stavrou
Nigel Farage accused of ‘inflaming a situation with misinformation’
03:00
Athena Stavrou
Nigel Farage is facing a backlash this morning after he posted a message on X on last night’s disturbance.
Situated thousands of miles away in the US, where he was attending the RNC conference in support of Donald Trump, Mr Farage gave his reacton to the trouble that flared in Harehills in Leeds.
He wrote: “The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Those remarks, however, led to a backlash from local Labour MPs, including Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds Central and Headingley.
Mr Sobel wrote: “This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has briefed you on.
“You are inflaming a situation with misinformation. Politicians have a responsibility to not exacerbate situations, particularly with no knowledge of them. I expect you to issue an apology.”
Mr Farage replied: “When will you and the Labour Party apologise for irresponsible mass migration?”
‘Appalling breakdown of social order’ - West Yorkshire Police Federation
01:00
Athena Stavrou
West Yorkshire Police Federation chairman Craig Nicholls has issued a statement on last night’s trouble.
He described it as “utterly unacceptable” and praised police officers who responded to trouble in the Harehills estate in Leeds.
He said: “What should have been a standard duty quickly turned into a night of chaos, highlighting the need for robust support and resources for those tasked with maintaining public safety.
“Despite the conditions, the resilience of our colleagues was nothing short of remarkable.
“In the face of aggression and disorder, their quick-thinking and bravery were critical in bringing the situation to a safe conclusion.”
‘I was just thinking about my community’ - hero councillor
Friday 19 July 2024 23:30
Athena Stavrou
Green Councillor Mothin Ali was also filmed dramatically kicking away a wheelie bin being dragged towards a fire by two young people.
He also stopped another adult from throwing a wooden pallet onto the fire.
Councillor Ali said: “This is my community, these are my people, regardless of how they behaved. This behaviour is unacceptable but we need people to step in and calm things down when they can. I have a position of authority and I have to use it.
“I grabbed the bin off those young lads, and credit to them they showed me respect and stepped away. They didn’t try anything else.
“Later on the crowd changed, and was more aggressive. I had people pushing me and shoving me. I don’t even know if I was scared, I wasn’t thinking about that. I was just thinking about my community.”
Leeds City Council agree to undertake ‘urgent review’ of ‘family matter’ case after riot
Friday 19 July 2024 22:34
Athena Stavrou
After meeting with representatives of the Roma community today, Leeds City Council have agreed to undertake an “urgent review” of a “family matter” case.
A riot broke out in the Harehills area of Leeds on Thursday evening after social workers reported hostility when dealing with a child protection issue.
The children were taken to a safe place while police officers attended for support. But when authorities were met with further hostilities, they were forced to withdraw.
A statement from Leeds City Council released on Friday said: “Today, representatives of the Roma community met with Leeds City Council to express their concerns about a family matter yesterday (18 July 2024).
“The council has agreed to undertake an urgent review of the case and work with Romanian and Roma led organisations, the churches, and the Honorary Consulate of Romania and other family representatives for the best interests of the family and wider Roma community.
“We are asking all communities to remain calm and to ensure that we do not see further disturbances such as those witnessed last night, which brought fear and upset to communities in Harehills. Local people are devastated by what happened, and we want to ensure there is no repeat of the distressing scenes we saw. Such actions will have a long lasting and harmful impact on our community.”
How last night’s riot started
Friday 19 July 2024 22:30
Athena Stavrou
More than 15 hours since the start of the public disorder, questions are being asked on how it started.
West Yorkshire Police said its officers were called to an incident at an address in the Harehills estate at 5pm on Thursday where they found an “ongoing disturbance” involving agency workers and children.
More people started to attend the location and the agency workers and children were taken to a safe place.
A crowd then started to gather and more officers were requested to attend the area where “pockets of disorder” were emerging.
In a statement, the West Yorkshire Police said: “More officers have been deployed to the area to assist with the management of this incident.”
The force has added that they will conduct a full investigation into “all criminal offences… including damage to vehicles from fire”.
Mood ‘calmer’ tonight
Friday 19 July 2024 21:35
Athena Stavrou
Leeds City Councillor Salma Arif told Channel 4 news that the mood now seems calmer in the Harehills area after violent disorder on Thursday night.
She said she had been meeting with police and community leaders to make sure there was no repeat of what happened.
Misinformation on social media about the nature of the incident had been “extremely unhelpful” she said, and added that she had been “picking up on some of that rhetoric” while in the midst of trying to defuse the situation.
She said: “What I can tell you, it was an isolated incident. There was an incident that happened with a family with care services, and obviously I can’t go in much detail in relation to what happened with that incident.
“But that has been really unhelpful because it means you know, the media has landed in Harehills. And actually, I mean, you will go tomorrow, but as a community, we still have to be together to pick up those pieces.”
She said Harehills was “a deprived area, but an incredibly diverse part of the city of Leeds”.
Wrong information on who is responsible posted on social media - say police
Friday 19 July 2024 21:30
Athena Stavrou
Following the break-out of the riot in the Harehills estate in Leeds last night, social media has been flooded with pics and videos from eyewitnesses.
There’s also been questions raised on who is responsible, with fingers pointed at some groups and people.
This morning, West Yorkshire Police, which is treating the matter as a “serious public order incident” said it was aware of wrong information posted on social media.
A spokesperson said: “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.
“Officers are aware of incorrect information circulating on social media suggesting persons potentially responsible.”
Profile on Harehills
Friday 19 July 2024 20:30
Athena Stavrou
So what do we know about Harehills?
The suburb is located in east Leeds and comes under the Gipton and Harehills ward, which has a population of just over 30,000 people living across 11,000 homes.
It was ranked among the most deprived areas in Leeds in 2020.
Last year, the most common crime offences reported were violence and sexual offences, public order and criminal damage and arson.
Home Secretary brands riot as ‘audacious criminality’ - reports
Friday 19 July 2024 20:11
Athena Stavrou
Yvette Cooper has branded yesterday’s riot in Harehills, Leeds as “audacious criminality” as she met with he Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police.
Five people have been arrested so far in connection to Thursday night’s violence which saw a police car overturned and a bus set alight
Speaking at Leeds’ Elland Road police station the Home Secretary told the BBC: “I’ve been talking to West Yorkshire Police officers and also to local community leaders about the action they are taking in response to these unacceptable scenes of disorder and criminality that we saw last night.
“Many people will have seen on social media some of the really shocking scenes of audacious criminality and that’s why it’s really important that those individuals face the full force of the law and that’s one of the issues police have been talking to me about this evening.”
Five arrested after riot
Friday 19 July 2024 20:07
Athena Stavrou
Five people have been taken into custody after scenes of violent disorder in the east Leeds suburb of Harehills on Thursday evening, according to West Yorkshire Police.
Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said: “We have made a number of arrests in connection with the breakout of disorder in Harehills last night with five people taken into custody.
“Officers from the Major Enquiry Team continue at significant pace to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disorder and we have teams deployed to arrest those who have been identified. We are using all the investigative tools available to us in order to identify those involved.
“These include traditional witness appeals as well as new and innovative ways of identifying those responsible. We’re making arrests and will continue to do so over the next few days.”
He added: “To those who are responsible for the criminality seen in Harehills, our investigation will be relentless and I urge you to do the right thing and hand yourself in to the police while you have the opportunity to do so.
“I also issue the same message to the parents of those young people involved, to make contact with the police now.”
‘Nobody was seriously hurt’ - West Yorkshire Mayor
Friday 19 July 2024 19:34
Athena Stavrou
Despite the danger posed by last night’s fires, no-one was thankfully seriously hurt, according to West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin.
Fears had been raised for passengers of a bus after images showed it on fire during the public disorder, but that was empty, said First Bus.
This morning, Ms Brabin said she believed no-one was seriously hurt as a result of the riot.
In a post on X, she wrote: “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 also criticised those behind the disorder.
She said: “I am absolutely appalled by the violent and thoughtless actions witnessed in Harehills last night. 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.”
Full police statement
Friday 19 July 2024 18:07
Athena Stavrou
West Yorkshire Police said violent disorder broke out in Harehills, Leeds, on Thursday after officers responded to a call from Children’s Social Care at around 5pm after social workers reported hostility when dealing with a child protection issue.
Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said: “Responding officers were attacked and helped Children’s Social Care staff withdraw to a place of safety.
“As the disorder escalated, damage was caused to vehicles and several fires set.
“We continually assessed the situation and took the decision to deploy specialist public order officers who then came under a barrage of bricks and missiles from a large group.”
Mr Twiggs said a decision was made to temporarily withdraw officers when it became “evident that the police was their sole target”, in order to calm tensions.
He added: “Throughout the night several arrests were made in relation to the disorder and further arrests will be made over the next few days.
“The force Major Enquiry Team have launched an investigation which will include reviewing CCTV and social media footage and images to identify the perpetrators.
“We will leave no stone unturned in our hunt for all those who were involved and will work closely with our criminal justice partners to bring them to justice.”
‘Incidents like this do not reflect Leeds - city council
Friday 19 July 2024 17:32
Alex Ross
Leeds City Council has issued a statement following last night’s violence in Harehills.
Posting to social media, the council says: “Incidents like this do not reflect Leeds or the Harehills community as a whole.
“While this is an ongoing police matter, it would not be appropriate to comment further on any alleged circumstances surrounding this incident.
“However we would ask people to avoid engaging with speculation on social media to enable people to engage with local services where they need to.”
Council thanks community
Friday 19 July 2024 16:30
Alex Ross
Video from last night’s violence showed some members working hard to calm the trouble.
Today, Leeds City Council said it was grateful for the network of people who “rallied together”.
In a statement, it said: “We are immensely grateful to those key individual networks of individuals, community leaders and elected officials within Harehills who rallied together last night to help to do this and prevent the situation from worsening alongside the police.
“We would urge people living in the Harehills community to stay safe and follow the latest police advice, we would also like to thank all the agencies for their response, and members of the community.”
Work now taking place to remove the bus remains
Friday 19 July 2024 15:12
Alex Ross
One of the central points of last night’s disturbance in Harehills was the double-decker bus being torched.
Thankfully, it was empty and no-one was hurt.
Today, the remains of it have sat within a police cordon guarded by officers.
At around 3pm, a fork lift truck arrived to start clearing the charred rubble from the vehicle.
More given by West Yorkshire Police on how the trouble started
Friday 19 July 2024 14:26
Alex Ross
We’ve already said how West Yorkshire Police were called to the disturbance in Luxor Street in Leeds - this afternoon, Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs has provided more on what happened.
He said officers received a call from Leeds City Council’s Children’s Social Care that social workers were reportedly being met with hostility while dealing with a child protection matter.
Ass Chf Cons Twiggs said his officers were attacked when they arrived, but managed to help the social workers withdraw to safety.
He said: “It is important to recognise the disorder and damage was caused by a criminal minority intent on disrupting the community.”
Earlier, Leeds City Council’s chief executive Tom Riordan said a “family incident” triggered the trouble and the actions of police and social service workers were “misinterpreted”.
West Yorkshire Police defend decision to initially withdraw officers from scene
Friday 19 July 2024 14:19
Alex Ross
As we’ve covered earlier from last night, during the violence police officers retreated when under attack from a crowd that gathered in the streets during the disturbance.
Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs has responded to questions on the move after some had been critical of the decision.
He said: “As the disorder escalated, damage was caused to vehicles and several fires set.
“We continually assessed the situation and took the decision to deploy specialist public order officers who then came under a barrage of bricks and missiles from a large group.
“A decision was taken to withdraw these officers temporarily as it was evident that the police was their sole target.
“This allowed for further community mediation to take place in order to calm the situation.
‘Several’ arrests made, police say
Friday 19 July 2024 14:01
Tom Barnes
“Several” people have been arrested following the violent disorder in Harehills and “further arrests will be made over the next few days”, West Yorkshire Police said.
In a statement on Friday afternoon, Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said: “Throughout the night several arrests were made in relation to the disorder and further arrests will be made over the next few days.
“The force Major Enquiry Team have launched an investigation which will include reviewing CCTV and social media footage and images to identify the perpetrators.
“We will leave no stone unturned in our hunt for all those who were involved and will work closely with our criminal justice partners to bring them to justice.”
Sir Keir Starmer urges people to stop speculating on cause of disorder
Friday 19 July 2024 13:55
Alex Ross
As already reported, West Yorkshire Police is discouraging residents from speculating on the cause of this disorder. A spokesperson said: “Officers are aware of incorrect information circulating on social media suggesting persons potentially responsible.”
This lunchtime, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has echoed that request.
He said: “The police have also discouraged people from speculating on the cause of the disorder. And the Prime Minister would also urge people to follow this advice.
“But certainly, as the Home Secretary I think also outlined this morning, local partners and councillors will be working very closely with the community today to provide support and reassurance in light of the shocking scenes that we saw last night and prevent further disturbances.”
‘I was just thinking about my community’ - hero councillor
Friday 19 July 2024 13:30
Alex Ross
Green Councillor Mothin Ali was also filmed dramatically kicking away a wheelie bin being dragged towards a fire by two young people.
He also stopped another adult from throwing a wooden pallet onto the fire.
Councillor Ali said: “This is my community, these are my people, regardless of how they behaved. This behaviour is unacceptable but we need people to step in and calm things down when they can. I have a position of authority and I have to use it.
“I grabbed the bin off those young lads, and credit to them they showed me respect and stepped away. They didn’t try anything else.
“Later on the crowd changed, and was more aggressive. I had people pushing me and shoving me. I don’t even know if I was scared, I wasn’t thinking about that. I was just thinking about my community.”
‘I was scared they were going to come up my street'
Friday 19 July 2024 13:14
Alex Ross
One woman, who asked not to be named, told the PA news agency she was walking a friend home in Harehills on Thursday night when she heard bangs coming from the bus that had been set on fire and started having a panic attack.
Her friend said: “I was scared they were going to come up our street, torch all the cars and maybe my house.”
‘We’ll let the police carry out their work’ - Starmer
Friday 19 July 2024 13:00
Alex Ross
Downing Street said the Government would not “cut across a police matter” when asked whether it would support fast-tracked sentences for rioters in Harehills.
Sir Keir Starmer, when he was director of public prosecutions in 2012, said rapid riot prosecutions were more important than long sentences.
Asked whether the Prime Minister would back fast sentences now, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “On this case, we’ll let the police carry out their work and they have our full support in doing that.”
‘We stood in front of the bricks and bottles’
Friday 19 July 2024 12:50
Alex Ross
Independent reporter Barney Davis has been speaking to a councillor who stood between rioters and police during trouble last night in Harehills.
Green Councillor Mothin Ali was also filmed dramatically kicking away a wheelie bin being dragged towards a fire by two young people.
He also stopped another adult from throwing a wooden pallet onto the fire.
He said: “The police weren’t around. I don’t want to criticise them but they left the scene and tried to come back and establish control - but they were being pelted with bricks and bottles and were chased off.
“They had no shields and no helmets. Me and a couple of others tried to form a human shield. We stood in front of the bricks and bottles and tried to give the police a way of retreating.”
Full interview here:
‘This is not a regular happening in Leeds'
Friday 19 July 2024 12:45
Alex Ross
More local reaction coming in on last night’s distrubance in Harehills in Leeds.
The city council’s leader, James Lewis, has been speaking to BBC Radio Leeds.
He said: “This is not a regular happening in Leeds, it’s not the face of Harehills.
“It’s a diverse community, lots of work goes on there to make it a strong and brilliant community and that’s what we need to be working on in the days and weeks ahead.”
‘Unsung heroes’ praised for calming situation by city MP
Friday 19 July 2024 12:30
Alex Ross
Videos from last night’s trouble showed some people attempting to calm the disturbance and even stopping people add items to fires
Among them was Green Party Councillor Mothin Ali who could be seen taking bins away from a street fire and wrestling with rioters trying to add a wooden pallet.
On Friday, Leeds East MP Richard Burgon praised those who helped.
He said: “This morning I’ve been in Harehills speaking with local residents who are devastated by yesterday’s serious incidents. So many good people worked together to try to calm things and reduce disorder in the community they care about so much. They are unsung heroes in our community.”
Sir Keir Starmer says disorder was “shocking and disgraceful"
Friday 19 July 2024 12:21
Alex Ross
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the “shocking and disgraceful” disorder last night.
Pointing to the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s statement on the violence, a No 10 spokeswoman said: “He would echo that the scenes that we saw last night were shocking and disgraceful. And disorder of this nature has no place in our society.
“That’s why he would like to thank West Yorkshire Police and the emergency services for their swift support.
“And the police have our full support in carrying out their investigations and taking the strongest possible action against perpetrators and keep the public safe.”
Councillors expect a briefing with police later today
Friday 19 July 2024 12:14
Alex Ross
Councillors across the city of Leeds came together in Harehills last night to reassure residents after last night’s trouble, said city councillor Luke Farley.
Speaking to LBC, the Labour councillor said it was “heartbreaking to see in this community”.
He said he was attending a briefing by West Yorkshire Police later today on its investigation.
This morning I’ve been down to Compton Road to assess the damage following the major incident which took place last night in Harehills and to speak to residents.
— Councillor Luke Farley (@FarleyLabour) July 19, 2024
Huge thanks to @Clean_Leeds for their quick response and efforts to get the area tidied up.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/CMVTj8mTOZ
‘Hero’ councillor calls for calm
Friday 19 July 2024 12:01
Alex Ross
As previously reported, video footage circulated last night showed a local councillor appearing to stop people from adding objects to a fire during the disturbance in the Harehills estate.
The councillor, named in the video as Councillor Mothin Ali, could be seen taking bins away from the street fire and wrestling with rioters trying to add a wooden pallet.
This morning he’s been speaking to reporters from the scene.
He said: “The scene was absolute mayhem. It was quite chaotic. We were trying to shelter the police, act as human shields for the police because they were there without helmets, without shields, being pelted with bricks and bottles so we were trying to calm people down and act as a protective barrier.”
He said there should “definitely” be arrests in the wake of the incident.
He said: “There were people who were legitimately angry but there were people who were as well, wanting to cause trouble. Legitimate anger is appropriate but attacking a bus with innocent people on it is not.
“I just hope everyone stays calm. I just hope everyone remembers that we are a community. We’ve got this mess on our streets that needs to be cleaned up, let’s come together, let’s unite.”
What sparked the night of violent disorder?
Friday 19 July 2024 11:48
Alex Ross
We hear from West Yorkshire Police and Leeds City Council’s chief executive Tom Riordan on what triggered last night’s violence in Leeds.
Resident saw people throwing bricks and stones at a police van
Friday 19 July 2024 11:45
Alex Ross
From the scene in Harehills this morning, Press Association has spoken to people who live in the area.
Paul, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, said he left his house at around 7pm on Thursday to see people throwing bricks and stones at a police van.
Paul, who asked to be referred to by his first name only, said: “The police were trying to stand their ground but they had to get back in the van.”
He said he was concerned because “I’ve got kids and you don’t know how far people are going to take it”.
He said: “The most shocking thing was when the bus went up – got set on fire. There was a bang and everybody ran. I don’t like my kids being around this. It’s just not right.
“It was just that one incident and then I think everybody jumped on the bandwagon. I don’t think it was one particular people, I think everybody thought it was an excuse to have a go at the police.”
Residents gather to view the damage
Friday 19 July 2024 11:30
Alex Ross
A police cordon remained in place on Friday morning around a burnt out vehicle after a night of disorder in Harehills with four officers guarding the scene.
Some residents gathered to look at the damage, while a visibly emotional group of people believed to be linked to the initial incident that led to the disorder sat on a patch of grass nearby.
Nigel Farage accused of ‘inflaming a situation with misinformation'
Friday 19 July 2024 11:24
Alex Ross
Nigel Farage is facing a backlash this morning after he posted a message on X on last night’s disturbance.
Situated thousands of miles away in the US, where he was attending the RNC conference in support of Donald Trump, Mr Farage gave his reacton to the trouble that flared in Harehills in Leeds.
He wrote: “The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Those remarks, however, led to a backlash from local Labour MPs, including Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds Central and Headingley.
Mr Sobel wrote: “This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has briefed you on.
“You are inflaming a situation with misinformation. Politicians have a responsibility to not exacerbate situations, particularly with no knowledge of them. I expect you to issue an apology.”
Mr Farage replied: “When will you and the Labour Party apologise for irresponsible mass migration?”
Full statement from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper
Friday 19 July 2024 11:14
Alex Ross
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said police have her full backing in “taking the strongest possible action” against rioters in Harehills, Leeds.
She said in a statement: “The scenes of criminality and disorder in Leeds last night were disgraceful, including attacks on police vehicles and public transport, and will have been very distressing for local residents.
“Those responsible must face the full force of the law and West Yorkshire Police have my support in pursuing the perpetrators and taking the strongest possible action against them.
“Local partners are meeting this morning and the police, the mayor and local councillors will be working closely with the community to provide support and reassurance and prevent further disturbances.
“Where there are incidents of disorder or unrest in communities, there is a responsibility on everyone to support the local agencies and residents who are working to resolve problems and prevent escalation. They have my support in their local work to provide a calm and firm response.”
Pictures from the scene of the disturbance this morning
Friday 19 July 2024 10:55
Alex Ross
A police cordon remains in place around a burnt out vehicle on Friday after a night of violent disorder in a Leeds suburb.
The clean-up operation has started as police guard the crime scene as the investigation starts to catch those responsible.
‘Appalling breakdown of social order’ - West Yorkshire Police Federation
Friday 19 July 2024 10:51
Alex Ross
West Yorkshire Police Federation chairman Craig Nicholls has issued a statement on last night’s trouble.
He described it as “utterly unacceptable” and praised police officers who responded to trouble in the Harehills estate in Leeds.
He said: “What should have been a standard duty quickly turned into a night of chaos, highlighting the need for robust support and resources for those tasked with maintaining public safety.
“Despite the conditions, the resilience of our colleagues was nothing short of remarkable.
“In the face of aggression and disorder, their quick-thinking and bravery were critical in bringing the situation to a safe conclusion.”
Not safe to initially send crews - West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Friday 19 July 2024 10:00
Alex Ross
We’re now hearing more on the response to last night’s fires, and why West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service did not initially send crews to the disturbance.
As reported, a double-decker bus was torched and several fires started in roads in the estate.
A fire service spokesperson said: “After evaluating the situation and considering the potential danger to our fire crews, it was determined that it was not safe to put out the fires,” a spokesperson says.
“We want to assure the public that we were ready to respond promptly if lives or homes were in danger.”
Violence triggered by a ‘family incident’ - council chief executive
Friday 19 July 2024 09:58
Alex Ross
Leeds City Council’s chief executive Tom Riordan spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in the wake of last night’s trouble.
On the riots, West Yorkshire Police said it was initially called to a disturbance involving some agency workers and some children.
And Mr Riordan this morning explained it was a “family incident”.
He said: “There was a family incident earlier in the day that police attended 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.
“I can’t go into any detail. It was a family incident and as always in Leeds we have outstanding rated services...it was an incident that was probably misinterpreted I would say.”
