The morning after the night before... the big clean-up begins

'WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT WAS FAR-RIGHT RIOTING FUELLED BY MISINFORMATION'

- KATIE OBORN

PLYMOUTH was returning to normal yesterday, after a night of unrest in the city that saw 150 police on duty with riot shields, smashed windows, and bricks ripped from walk-ways in Plymouth city centre.

Plymouth City Council posted a photo of a spruced-up city centre, saying: "The sun shines on Plymouth today our street cleaning team have been working hard since first light to clean up the city centre after the protests last night. As you can see back to normal, roads are open and buses are operating as usual"

Jemima Laing, deputy leader of Plymouth City Council, said the damage done to the city centre would be assessed yesterday morning, and the repair process would begin immediately.

She added: "A huge thank you to Plymouth's Street Cleansing teams who made sure the city centre was clean and open for business this morning.

"Such a contrast with the mindless thugs whose utterly pointless vandalism they had to clean up after.

Plymouth City Council said streets had been "strewn with debris from rocks and glass bottles together with small paving stones which had been ripped from the ground"

There were also a number of dam-aged bins, including a burnt-out bin on the Hoe and rubbish left strewn near Tinside Lido.

Cllr Sally Haydon, cabinet member for comnmunity safety, said it was thanks to council workers' "magnificent efforts" that Plymouth was "again looking spick and span"

She said: "I know that last night has left city centre businesses shaken, but we would like to thank them for taking precautions by closing early and working with the police and the council to minimise the potential for damage.