Firefighters admit Leeds riots were too DANGEROUS for them to attend

Fire crews sent to deal with riots in Leeds could not get near the site due to danger from the rioters.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to assist West Yorkshire Police in response to antisocial activities in the Harehills area.

However, after analysing the situation, a decision was made not to extinguish the fires at the site until after midnight.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed that several people had been arrested and “further arrests will be made over the next few days.”

A spokesperson from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service said: “We were called upon to assist West Yorkshire Police in response to antisocial activities in the Harehills area of Leeds.

“During the course of the evening, two fires were ignited. After evaluating the situation and considering the potential danger to our fire crews, it was determined that it was not safe to put out the fires.

“We are grateful for the efforts of local community leaders who intervened, enabling us to safely extinguish the fires just after midnight.

“We want to assure the public that we were ready to respond promptly if lives or homes were in danger.”

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the “shocking and disgraceful” disorder, echoing Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s comments that those responsible must “face the full force of the law”

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “He would echo that the scenes that we saw last night were shocking and disgraceful. And disorder of this nature has no place in our society. That’s why he would like to thank West Yorkshire Police and the emergency services for their swift support.

“And the police have our full support in carrying out their investigations and taking the strongest possible action against perpetrators and keep the public safe.”

Asked whether the Prime Minister would back fast sentences now akin to the 2011 London riots, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “On this case, we’ll let the police carry out their work and they have our full support in doing that.”

Councillor Mothin Ali, who attended the scene on Thursday night attempting to calm the situation, appealed for calm as he said he hoped the disturbance would not be repeated.

Speaking to reporters at the scene on Friday, the Green Party councillor for Gipton & Harehills said: “The scene was absolute mayhem. It was quite chaotic.

“We were trying to shelter the police, act as human shields for the police because they were there without helmets, without shields, being pelted with bricks and bottles so we were trying to calm people down and act as a protective barrier.”