Riots erupted in Leeds as rioters set a double-decker bus ablaze and overturned a police car on Thursday.
Footage on social media showed the crowd attacking the police vehicle, using a pram, rocks, and bicycles to smash its windows before flipping it onto its side.
Videos viral on social media show individuals running towards a fire in the middle of the road with a large fridge, which they threw onto the blaze to the cheers of onlookers.
Meanwhile, the West Yorkshire Police on Friday reported that no injuries had been recorded so far. “A large number of public order officers have been deployed to the location in what remains an ongoing incident,” the police stated.
What caused the riots?
According to The Telegraph, unrest in Leeds began after social services removed four children from a family. The disturbances started around 5 pm on Thursday when police responded to a disturbance call on Luxor Street. Officers and agency workers safely removed the children before violence escalated throughout the evening.
A local familiar with the family said the riot began as a protest against the removal of the children. The unrest was sparked by an incident where a baby was accidentally injured by a sibling. The parents took the baby to the hospital for a check-up, but were shocked when the hospital reported the case to social services. The social workers then removed the four children without providing a clear reason. “They just said it was for the best,” the local stated.
Expressing her concern about the incident in a post on ‘X’ on Friday, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wrote, “I am appalled at the shocking scenes and attacks on police vehicles & public transport in Leeds tonight. Disorder of this nature has no place in our society.”
In a video message on X, councillor Salma Arif, for Gipton and Harehills asked people to stay at home.
In the video, Salma Arif was seen with police officer Nicholls.
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