Man, 18, arrested after 'bricks thrown at police officers' in Darlington disorder

A man has been arrested in connection with "serious violence" where bricks were reportedly thrown at police officers.

Durham Constabulary say pockets of violence broke out between two large groups in the North Lodge Park area of Darlington shortly after 9pm on Monday (5 August 2023) evening.

Dozens of officers are said to have responded to the incident, with some hit with bricks.

An 18-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of violent disorder, assaulting a police officer and possession of a controlled drug. He remains in police custody.

Police dispersal powers have been authorised in the area, giving officers enhanced stop and search capabilities and authority to order people to remove face coverings intended to hide their appearance.

Assistant Chief Constable Richie Allen, from Durham Constabulary, said: “What we have been dealing with tonight in Darlington has been sporadic pockets of violent disorder involving groups of people intent on causing serious harm to our communities and their property.

“We deployed a number of officers to the scene who worked throughout the night to disperse those involved.

“We were supported by officers from Cleveland and Northumbria Police and were assisted by our partners at the fire and ambulance service at the scene, for which I am grateful.

“We will not tolerate violent disorder in our communities. If you were there committing criminal acts, we will do everything in our power to find you and deal with you robustly.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Durham Constabularly via 101 or the chat function on the force website. Alternatively information can also be submitted anonymously by the charity crime stoppers.

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