Bus on fire and police car overturned in disorder

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

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 remained gathered on the streets late into the evening, with no police in attendance for a period.

In the early hours of Friday, police released another statement saying “a large number of public order officers” had been deployed to the area, where a “serious disorder incident” was ongoing.

It added no injuries had been reported.

A bus was completely burnt out near the Compton Centre.

Members of the community attempted to put it out with buckets of water before the police and fire service arrived at about 1:00.

People remained gathered on the street after they arrived, but in lesser numbers than the hundreds there earlier.

West Yorkshire Police said “a large number of public order officers have been deployed to the location in what remains an ongoing incident”.

“We wish to reassure residents we are responding to the disorder incidents which have taken place, and that appropriate specialist public order resources are attending,” it added in a statement.

The force added: “We would strongly discourage residents from speculating on the cause of this disorder which we believe has been instigated by a criminal minority intent on disrupting community relations.”

Footage shared on social media earlier in the evening shows a 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.

“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,” said Home Secertary Yvette Cooper.

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

Earlier police said that officers found “an ongoing disturbance which involved some agency workers and some children” when they attended a disturbance at Luxor Road.

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.”

First Bus confirmed one of the company’s vehicles was set on fire with another “caught up in the public disorder”, but neither bus driver nor the passengers were hurt.

“One of our vehicles has been set on fire but was empty as the customers had earlier been transferred to another bus together with the driver,” a spokesman for the Leeds company said.

Posting on X on Thursday evening, 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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