Harehills: Live as police confirm 'several arrests made' after night of chaos in Leeds area
Disorder unfolded in Leeds overnight as footage showed shocking scenes of unrest and fires being lit in a night of chaos.
Hundreds of people gathered on the streets of Leeds late last night (July 18). Images and videos appear to show a bus and a number of other vehicles on fire.
Police were initially called to Luxor Street in Harehills at around 5pm on Thursday evening after reports of an “ongoing disturbance” involving “agency workers and some children”.
As tensions escalated, crowds quickly gathered, prompting the force to call for reinforcements.
Following their initial call-out to Luxor Street, police said “more people started to attend the location”.
The force added that “a decision was made to remove the agency workers and the children to a safe place”.
The police statement said that crowds started to gather with “pockets of disorder” as more officers were deployed and road closures were put in place.
In the aftermath of the chaos, residents told the YEP that they were “heartbroken” and feared Harehills would “never be the same”. Meanwhile, community leaders described the work on the ground to de-escalate the situation through the night.
At a press conference in the city centre this afternoon, the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin urged people to keep their kids at home. She said: “Parents should know where their youngsters are.”
Follow the blog below for the latest updates on this story.