Violence in Leeds, UK as mob attacks bus and police car; no one injured in ‘serious disorder incident’, cops say | World News

Late on Thursday, a police car was overturned and a bus set on fire in Harehills, Leeds, as riots broke out and hundreds of people gathered in the streets. West Yorkshire Police called it an “incident of serious disorder” and urged residents to stay at home.

Several videos circulating on social media show large crowds on the streets. The reason for this is still unclear.

West Yorkshire Police said in an official statement on Friday that it was an ongoing incident and that a large number of law enforcement officers had been dispatched to the scene.

Initial reports said the street disturbance was reported at an address on Luxor Street at around 5pm BST.

The “ongoing disruption” is linked to temporary workers and children, according to The guardSome people in the community reacted to the children being taken into care by setting fires and “throwing stones,” the owner of a local restaurant was quoted as saying.

Home Secretary and MP for West Yorkshire Yvette Cooper said she was “appalled by the shocking scenes”.

“Disorder of this kind has no place in our society. My thanks go to West Yorkshire Police for their response. I will be kept regularly updated,” Cooper wrote in a post on X.

“No injuries reported so far”: West Yorkshire Police

British police confirmed that no injuries have been reported in the incident so far.

Crimes, including damage to vehicles by fire, are to be investigated by detectives from Leeds CID and the police’s Homicide and Serious Crime Squad.

“We would like to assure citizens that we are responding to the unrest and that appropriate specialist personnel are on site to maintain public order … We would like to make it clear that we will apply the full force of the law against those responsible,” the statement said.

“The police can also confirm that no injuries have been reported in the unrest so far and that the police are treating the case as a serious breach of public order,” the statement continued.