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West Yorkshire Police have made five arrests following riots in Leeds on Thursday night – and the force has defended its decision to withdraw officers in the face of hostile crowds.
Violence erupted in the Harehills area of Leeds on Thursday night, with shocking videos showing a police car being overturned and a double-decker bus being set alight.
Police said the riots broke out as officers responded to reports that social workers had faced hostility when dealing with a child protection issue.
As the children were being moved to a safe location around 5pm, a crowd gathered and the situation escalated, with objects being thrown at police.
As the unrest escalated, Deputy Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said officers were forced to withdraw as it became “clear that the police were their only target”.
The decision was criticised, including by local Green Party councillor Mothin Ali, who worked to defuse the violence.
Five arrests have been confirmed so far, but more are expected.
“As the unrest escalated, vehicles were damaged and several fires were started,” Mr Twiggs said.
“We continually assessed the situation and made the decision to deploy specialist law enforcement officers, who were then targeted by a barrage of bricks and missiles from a large group.”
The decision was then taken to temporarily withdraw the officers in order to ease tensions.
He added: “Throughout the night several arrests have been made in connection with the disturbances and further arrests will be made over the coming days.”
Videos posted on social media showed a police car being overturned – before being attacked by people wielding a scooter, a stroller and a bicycle – and a double-decker bus being set alight while several fires were lit along the street.
Four officers stood guard around a burned-out bus on Friday morning as residents gathered to survey the damage.
A group of visibly emotional people, likely connected to the initial incident, sat on a patch of grass nearby.
Green Party councillor for Gipton and Harehills Mr Ali described the scenes as “absolute chaos” and called on the community to remain calm and come together following the incident.
Mr Ali said the local neighbourhood policing team were “absolutely fantastic” and had sought to prevent the situation from escalating, but it was a poor decision for officers to withdraw during the first incident.
He said police did not have the manpower or equipment needed during the unrest and said arrests should be made.
Calling for calm the day after the violence, he said The Independent:”The police were not there. I don’t want to criticize them, but they left the scene and tried to come back to regain control, but they were pelted with bricks and bottles and chased away.
“They had no shields or helmets. With a few others, we tried to form a human shield. We positioned ourselves in front of the bricks and bottles and tried to give the police a way to retreat.”
Regarding the arrests, he said that while some people were “rightfully angry”, others “wanted to cause trouble”.
He told the PA news agency: “Legitimate anger is appropriate, but attacking a bus with innocent people on board is not.”
A local resident who witnessed the riot said he left his house at 7pm and saw people throwing bricks and stones at a police van.
Paul, who did not want to give his last name, said he feared further unrest would occur because “the tension is still there.”
“I don’t like my children to be in this situation. It’s not normal,” he said.
“The most shocking thing was when the bus caught fire. There was a loud noise and everyone started running.”
First Bus confirmed that one of its vehicles caught fire and another was caught in the chaos. The vehicles were empty of passengers and both drivers were unharmed.
Another video clip shows a large refrigerator being thrown into a fire as crowds cheer and sirens sound in the background.
Paul added: “It was just an isolated incident, and I think everyone jumped on it. I don’t think it was any one person, I think everyone thought it was an excuse to attack the police.”
Politicians condemned the violence, with Sir Keir Starmer describing it as a “shocking and shameful” disorder that “has no place in our society”.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the police had her full support to “take the strongest possible action” against the rioters.
She said in a statement: “The scenes of crime and disorder in Leeds last night were disgraceful, including attacks on police vehicles and public transport, and must have been very distressing for local residents.”
West Yorkshire Police have sought to dissuade residents from speculating about the cause of the disorder, which they say was caused “by a criminal minority determined to disrupt community relations”.
A spokesperson added: “Officers are aware of false information circulating on social media suggesting individuals may be responsible.”
Reform Party’s Nigel Farage’s comments on social media have been criticised.
Farage wrote on X/Twitter: “The politics of the subcontinent are being played out on the streets of Leeds right now. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, said: “This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has informed you about. You are making it worse with false information. Politicians have a responsibility not to make things worse, especially when they are unaware of it. I expect you to apologise.”
