Leicester disorder: Significant police presence in East Leicester this weekend ahead of Diwali
Leicestershire Police say they'll be a "significant" police presence across East Leicester this weekend and into next week to reassure communities ahead of Diwali Day on Monday.
The force says it wants the Leicester community to enjoy the special event without disturbance from disorderly groups.
It comes after "serious disorder" broke out in parts of East Leicester on September 17.
Around 200 people marched towards Highfields during an unauthorised protest.
An opposing group was then reported to have gathered as more violence and unrest continued.
A total of 61 people have been arrested in connection with the weeks of disruption and violence in Leicester.
Officers say the last few weeks have seem calm on the streets. Navratri and the Diwali light switch on saw no disruption.
However, this weekend will see another cricket match between India and Pakistan being played in Melbourne, Australia, leading to a high-visibility police presence in the city to ensure all remains calm.Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon said: “I’d like to take this time to ask everyone to enjoy the Diwali celebrations – as they normally would.“It’s a very special time for so many people in the communities of Leicester, and a very special time for the city and those celebrations should go ahead.“There will be a high-visibility police presence in the area throughout Monday to ensure this is the case. Anyone thinking of causing trouble – please, don’t. We will be there to stop disorder breaking out.
“This is also the case on Sunday, following the cricket match. We recognise that there might be tensions around this result and will be on the streets, patrolling and offering reassurance to the community.“I’d like to take this opportunity to ask – again – to not share unverified and unchecked information on social media. Misinformation has proven very destructive throughout.”The Chief Constable added: “Meticulous efforts to investigate the disorder are progressing but not without challenges. The effort and care going in this work, as you would expect, is relentless.“The team of detectives working on the reports of crimes are doing so around the clock, with more charges expected.”