West Yorkshire Police have made five arrests following riots in Leeds on Thursday night - and defended its decision to pull back its officers in the face of hostile crowds.
Violence broke out on Thursday evening in the Harehills area of Leeds, with shocking videos showing a police car being overturned and a double-decker bus being set alight. The force said the rioting began as officers responded to reports of social workers experiencing hostility when dealing with a child protection issue.
After the children concerned were moved to a safe place at around 5pm, crowds gathered and objects were thrown at police. As the situation escalated, Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said officers were forced to withdraw as it became "evident that the police were their sole target”. The decision has been criticised by some including local Green Party councillor Mothin Ali, who worked to de-escalate the violence.
Five arrests have been confirmed so far, but more are expected.
"As the disorder escalated, damage was caused to vehicles and several fires set," said Assistant Chief Constable Twiggs. "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."
The decision was then made to temporarily withdraw officers 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."
This story is from the July 20, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the July 20, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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