After night-time unrest, order has been restored in the British city of Leeds

LONDON – Officials in the northern English city of Leeds say order has been restored after a night of unrest that began when police and local government workers intervened in a “family incident” and residents poured into the streets in protest.

Rioters set fire to a bus and overturned a police car in what police described as a “serious incident of disorder” that began in the Harehills area of ​​the city at around 5pm on Thursday. A large number of officers were dispatched to the area and “the full force of the law” would be used against those responsible, West Yorkshire Police said in a statement.

Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said calm had been restored by 1am and authorities had already started cleaning up the damage.

“There was a family incident that day where the police and our officers were present and that was of concern to many people in the community,” Riordan said in an interview with the BBC. “And that seemed to be the trigger for many people’s concern about what had happened.”

Riordan declined to provide details about the incident, but said authorities always intervene when children are in danger. The community “probably misinterpreted” the situation, he said.

Police said they initially responded to a report of a disturbance involving children and “temporary workers.” As more people arrived at the scene, a decision was made to move the children and workers to a safer location.

But the situation continued to escalate, with crowds gathering and unrest breaking out. No injuries were reported, police said.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who is responsible for law enforcement in the UK, said she was “appalled by the shocking scenes” that night in Leeds.

“There is no place for this kind of disorder in our society,” she said on X, formerly known as Twitter.