Leeds incident: Why did rioting break out in Harehills?

A bus was torched as trouble flared in Harehills, Katie Oscroft reports

As the sun rose in the Harehills area of Leeds on Friday morning, it did so on scenes of destruction which told the story of a night of uncontrolled violence.

The burnt-out shell of a double decker bus, scorch marks in the road, melted traffic bollards.

Hours earlier, social workers had been sent to a house in Luxor Street. There was little indication at that stage of the shocking outbreak of disorder which would follow.

But that visit became the flashpoint for tension that would escalate into a major disturbance, with huge crowds gathering in the streets, emergency workers coming under attack, vehicles being set alight and property vandalised.

So how did one isolated incident spark scenes of disorder rarely witnessed on British streets?

The reason for the initial intervention by social services was later described as a "child protection matter".

Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan said a "family incident" was at the centre of events, with local residents suggesting children were being removed from a property.

When trouble flared, police were sent to help.

West Yorkshire Police said they responded to an incident which "involved some agency workers and some children".  

However, their arrival, at around 5pm, merely appeared to inflame the situation further.

Videos widely circulated on social media showed a police car being attacked and overturned. Others appeared to show objects being thrown at police vans.

As large crowds spilled into the streets, police officers retreated, although West Yorkshire Police said "appropriate specialist public order resources" were deployed.

An empty double decker bus was set on fire.

Pictures of the bus in flames and smoke billowing high above the city will come to define what happened.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it received reports of two fires, but it was deemed too risky to intervene.

A 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."

The fires were allowed to burn, although social media pictures appeared to show some of those who had gathered trying to put them out.

Community leaders urged people not to speculate about the causes of the violence. But there were suggestions that many of those involved had used the initial tension to commit wanton acts of vandalism.

A police spokesperson blamed a "criminal minority intent on disrupting community relations" and warned of "incorrect information circulating on social media suggesting persons potentially responsible".

The trouble continued long into the night, but by Friday breakfast time relative calm had returned and the clean-up had begun.

Nevertheless, a sense of shock and confusion at what had happened remained.

In the face of questions about the police response, West Yorkshire Police Federation said its members acted admirably.

Chairman Craig Nicholls praised their bravery, saying: "Their actions prevented further escalation and safeguarded the lives of many in the community. These officers acted with professionalism and courage, exemplifying the very best of what it means to serve and protect."

Those comments were perhaps substantiated by the fact that no-one was seriously hurt and the trouble was relatively contained.

The question now will be what happens to those responsible and how confident the authorities can be that there will be no repeat.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.