Harehills: Bus on fire and police car overturned in disorder

A two-story bus was set ablaze during chaos in Harehills, Leeds.

Many police officers have been sent to Harehills in Leeds after trouble started in the neighborhood on Thursday.

During a chaotic event, West Yorkshire Police reported that a police car was overturned and a bus was set on fire.

The police said that officers were first alerted to a disturbance at a residence on Luxor Street around 5:00 PM BST, and additional instances of disorder later occurred in different areas.

Videos on social media showed a lot of people on the streets, with some possibly damaging a police car using a scooter, causing it to overturn.

Yvette Cooper, who is the Home Secretary and a Member of Parliament for West Yorkshire, expressed her horror at the distressing images.

There have been no reports of any injuries.

A bus was completely destroyed near the Compton Centre.

Many people stayed in the location well into the night, on streets that were covered with trash and other items.

A reporter from the BBC who was in the area late at night mentioned that there didn't seem to be any police officers in uniform at the location of the disturbance. Instead, police cars were parked about a mile away.

Local residents were spotted trying to extinguish a fire on a charred bus near the Compton Centre using buckets of water until the arrival of the fire department.

The BBC observed the police and fire department arrive at the location about an hour later.

Firefighters began putting out fires in the early morning.

In a message issued late at night, West Yorkshire Police announced that a significant amount of officers trained in handling public order situations have been sent to the area where an incident is still ongoing.

"We want to let residents know that we are addressing the disturbances that have occurred and that the necessary specialized public order resources are on the way," stated the message.

We urge residents not to make guesses about what caused this disorder. We think a small group of criminals are behind it, trying to disrupt relationships within the community.

A video shared on social media captured a big group of people attacking a police vehicle and overturning it.

A video posted on social media earlier tonight shows a police car being attacked, with its windows being broken. Someone uses a scooter to hit the car, and rocks and other objects are also thrown at it.

Riesa, a pharmacy worker who chose not to disclose her surname, told the PA news agency that she witnessed individuals hurling objects at the police and vehicles.

"They were vandalizing police vehicles, hurling objects at them - anything they could find on the ground. Rocks from the yard, trash, beverages, anything," she recounted.

Beverages were undeniably being hurled at the police - water, juice, fizzy drinks, or any liquid they had on hand, essentially, at the vehicles because officers were attempting to keep their distance as the situation was becoming quite aggressive.

The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, expressed her shock and disapproval at the disturbing events that occurred in Leeds tonight, including attacks on police vehicles and public transport. She stated that this kind of disorder is not acceptable in our society.

Several streets are currently shut down and residents are being told to steer clear of the vicinity.

Multiple fires have been intentionally started on the streets in the area of Harehills.

Previously, authorities stated that officers responded to a "continuous commotion that included some temporary workers and children" when they arrived at a disturbance on Luxor Road.

A representative stated: "As more individuals began to gather at the site, it was decided to relocate the temporary employees and the children to a secure location.

A large group of people began to come together and additional police officers were called in to deal with the disruptions happening in certain areas.

Extra police have been sent to the area to help deal with this situation.

It was announced that a thorough investigation will be carried out into "any criminal acts that occurred, including any harm done to vehicles due to fire".

"All crimes, such as setting vehicles on fire, will be thoroughly looked into."

It was stated that those accountable will face the consequences under the law.

First Bus has reported that one of their buses was deliberately set on fire, with another bus becoming involved in the public disorder as well. Fortunately, no passengers or bus drivers were injured during these incidents.

A representative from the Leeds company stated that one of their vehicles was deliberately burned, but luckily no passengers were inside as they had already been moved to a different bus with the driver.

On X day in the evening, Councillor Salma Arif from Gipton and Harehills stood with a police inspector to share a message advising everyone to remain indoors.

Ms Arif mentioned that there is a situation happening right now in Harehills.

"We are requesting that everyone in the vicinity remain indoors at this current juncture."

The officer, Insp Nicholls, from the Neighbourhood Policing Team in East Leeds, mentioned, "Please remain in your current location and stay inside your homes as we handle this situation."

"Please leave the crowd and return to your homes to ensure the safety of everyone."

Richard Burgon, the Member of Parliament representing Leeds East, mentioned on an external platform that he is currently traveling back to Leeds from Parliament and is in communication with both the police and worried locals regarding the ongoing situation in Harehills.

The authorities have stated that there have been no reported injuries, but they are recommending that individuals steer clear of the area if they can.

Tracy Brabin, the mayor of West Yorkshire, stated that she had received confirmation that no one had been significantly harmed, but she urged those who are attempting to escalate community conflicts to reconsider their actions.

Extra reporting from Bethany Parsons

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Photo credit: Beth Parsons/BBC

An injured police vehicle was removed from the location of the chaos.

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