'Appalling scenes': Home secretary visits Leeds after night of disorder
ITV News Correspondent Kelly Foran reports on the riots in Leeds on Thursday
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper visited Leeds on Friday after five people were arrested following unrest that saw protests in the street and a police car overturned.
West Yorkshire Police said the rioting broke out in Harehills, in the east of the city, on Thursday evening as officers responded to reports of social workers experiencing hostility when dealing with a child protection issue.
Responding officers were attacked and helped social care staff to safety before the disorder escalated with people damaging vehicles and setting fires, according to Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs.
Specialist public order officers were then deployed and came under a “barrage of bricks and missiles” from a large group of people.
ITV News's coverage of the riot on Thursday evening shows the shocking scenes in Leeds
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.
In an update on Friday evening, he 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.“
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 into the police while you have the opportunity to do so.
The Home Secretary said those responsible should feel the “full force of the law” for what she described as “audacious criminality”.
Yvette Cooper spoke to ITV News in Leeds where she met West Yorkshire Police officers and local community leaders on Friday.
Asked about anger in the community and social media posts that appear to show children being dragged from houses, she said: “I think what we saw last night was the scenes of criminality with the bus being set alight, with the attack on the police cars. And we’ve also seen some issues around misinformation about the police having to respond to a complex child protection incident.”
She said people would have also seen “really shocking scenes of audacious criminality” on social media.
A bus was set on fire and a police car was overturned as residents were warned to stay at home on Thursday night, with a large police presence and helicopters deployed to the area.
On Friday morning, four officers guarded the scene around a torched bus in Foundry Approach.
Some residents gathered to look at the damage, while a visibly emotional group of people believed to be linked to the initial incident sat on a patch of grass nearby.
Green Party councillor for Gipton and Harehills, Mothin Ali, described the scenes as “absolute mayhem” and called for the community to stay calm and come together after the incident.
Speaking to reporters at the scene on Friday, 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.”
One man 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.
“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.
Cooper said police have her full backing in “taking the strongest possible action” against rioters.
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.”
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin condemned the “violent and thoughtless actions”, adding that “such criminal behaviour will not be tolerated”.
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