Hundreds take to the streets of Leeds again as parents urged to keep their children inside after police ‘cracked’ in riots – The Sun

HUNDREDS have taken to the streets of Leeds again – with parents being urged to keep their children inside.

Footage shows crowds gathering for a peaceful protest in the Harehills area last night, after rioters attacked police on Thursday.

The crowds dispersed after holding signs and singing along to the music.

Last night West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “I will continue to work with our partners to keep West Yorkshire safe.

“I am asking our communities to come together and ensure calm tonight.

“I want to say to parents – please make sure your children are at home with you and not on the streets.”

It comes after hundreds of thugs wreaked havoc in Harehills on Thursday night, torching a bus and overturning a police car.

The riot is said to have started after police rushed to a “disturbance” involving some workers and children.

Chaos erupted after three children were forcibly removed from their parents and taken into care, it is claimed.

West Yorkshire Police said officers were attacked at the scene after responding to reports that social workers had been “met with hostility”.

As the riot unfolded, the police were allegedly attacked with bricks and rockets.

Several arrests were made during the riot and police are now looking for everyone involved.

Yesterday, Deputy Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said: “There has understandably been a lot of speculation, comment and concern following the disorder in Harehills, Leeds, overnight.

“Our officers responded to a call from Child Welfare at around 5pm on Thursday.

“Social workers reported being met with hostility when dealing with a child protection issue.

“Responding officers were under attack and assisted Children’s Welfare staff to retreat to safety.

“As the disorder intensified, damage to vehicles occurred and several fires broke out.

“We constantly evaluated the situation and made the decision to deploy specialist public order agents.

“They then came under a barrage of bricks and rockets from a large group.

“A decision was taken to temporarily withdraw these officers as it was clear that the police were their only target.

“This allowed community mediation to continue to defuse the situation.

“The police then returned to the area with colleagues from the Fire Department to put out the remaining fires.”

Twiggs added: “These fires were self contained and did not pose a greater risk.

“At this point the crowd had thinned out and officers were able to fully restore order.

“Several arrests were made in connection with the disorder overnight and further arrests will be made over the coming days.

“The force’s Major Investigation Team has launched an investigation which will include reviewing CCTV and social media footage and footage to identify the perpetrators.

“We will leave no stone unturned in our hunt for all those involved.

“We will work closely with our criminal justice partners to bring them to justice.”

Anyone with information should contact West Yorkshire Police on Op Jerviswick or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Twiggs said: “It is important to recognize that the disorder and damage was caused by a criminal minority intent on disrupting the community.

“Community members worked together with our key individual networks and elected members who were on the ground trying to de-escalate the situation.

“They are also working alongside us and Leeds City Council today to clean up the area.

“There will be a significant police presence in Harehills over the weekend.

“Future attempts to engage in crime and disorder will be met with a strong response.

“I would like to thank the Harehills community once again for their efforts and support.”

Now, disturbing footage has shown a police officer grabbing a boy’s arms as he led him out of the house.

An eyewitness said: “They tried to take the children by force.”

The clip shows a crowd gathering as the officer leads the boy to a police van surrounded by officers.

There are shouts from the angry crowd as the young man is squeezed inside.

The chaos continued from there – with images of rioters setting fire to a bus, overturning a police car and throwing rockets at police.

Leeds City Council said it “would not be appropriate to comment further on any alleged circumstances surrounding this incident”.

The council urged local residents not to engage in speculation on social media.

A police car was smashed by thugs wielding children’s scooters before a crowd gathered to swing it on its side in shocking scenes.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was aware of the fire but had taken the decision to let it “burn itself out”.

A spokesman said: “We are aware of an open fire in Harehills, Leeds at the moment.

“As it is, the fire in the street does not affect public safety or the buildings, and therefore we let it die out.

“We will continue to monitor the situation in conjunction with West Yorkshire Police who are handling this incident.”

West Yorkshire Police reportedly recruited officers from Yorkshire and Manchester forces before restoring order.

No emergency services were allowed within a mile of the riots before the police entered.

Leeds City Council said: “We have been working with the police, community leaders and other agencies overnight as they respond to an incident of serious disturbance in Harehills.

“While this is an ongoing police matter, it would not be appropriate to comment further on any alleged circumstances surrounding this incident.

“However, we would ask people to avoid engaging in speculation on social media to allow people to engage with local services where needed.

“Incidents like this do not reflect well on Leeds or the Harehills community as a whole.

“Our communities, including that of Harehills, play a vital role in collectively ensuring that we keep our neighborhoods safe and feel safe.

“We are extremely grateful to the key individual networks of individuals, community leaders and elected officials in Harehills.

“They came together last night to help make this happen and prevent the situation from escalating alongside the police.”