Bus on fire and police car overturned in disorder- QHN

A police car was flipped over and a bus set alight after disorder broke out in Harehills in Leeds.

West Yorkshire Police said officers were initially called to reports of a disturbance at an address in Luxor Street at about 17:00 BST, but that further “pockets of disorder” had broken out.

Social media footage showed large crowds of people on the streets, a bus on fire and a police car coming under attack before being flipped over.

Home Secretary and West Yorkshire MP Yvette Cooper said she was “appalled at the shocking scenes”.

Hundreds of people were still gathered on the streets at about midnight, with no police in attendance at that time, according to a BBC reporter at the scene.

Video of the scene shows a bus completely burnt out near the Compton Centre.

In a statement put out earlier, police said no injuries had been reported.

A number of roads have been closed and people have been advised to avoid the area.

Police said that on arrival officers found “an ongoing disturbance which involved some agency workers and some children”.

A spokesperson said: “More people started to attend the location and a decision was made to remove the agency workers and the children to a safe place.

“A crowd started to gather and more officers were requested to attend the area, where some pockets of disorder were occurring.

“More officers have been deployed to the area to assist with the management of this incident.”

Ms Cooper said: “I am appalled at the shocking scenes and attacks on police vehicles and public transport in Leeds tonight. Disorder of this nature has no place in our society.”

Footage shared on social media showed the police car coming under attack with its windows being smashed in. One person uses a scooter to hit it, while stones and other debris are also thrown.

BBC reporters, near the scene on Harehills Road, described hundreds of people gathered on the streets, with rubbish and debris strewn across the road.

The road is currently open and no police are currently at the scene, though many police vehicles are gathered about a mile away.

Posting on X, Gipton and Harehills Councillor Salma Arif appeared alongside a police inspector, with a message urging people to stay at home.

Ms Arif said: “There’s an ongoing situation currently in Harehills.

“We are asking everybody in the area please stay at home at this moment in time.”

Insp Nicholls, from the East Leeds Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “If you could just stay where you are, stay in your houses while we manage this incident.

“If you are in the crowd I would ask you to go home please so we can keep everybody safe.”

Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, said on X: “I am on my way back to Leeds from Parliament and am in touch with the police and concerned residents about the on-going incident in Harehills.

“The police say no injuries have been reported but are advising people to avoid the area at the moment if possible.”

Tracy Brabin, the mayor of West Yorkshire, said she had been “reassured no one has been seriously injured but suggest those who are using this to inflame community tensions to think again”.

Additional reporting by Bethany Parsons

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