Leeds riots – latest: Bus on fire and police car overturned in Harehills disorder as locals told to stay home

This morning, First Bus has confirmed that one of the company’s vehicles was set on fire with another caught up in the chaos.

A spokesperson for the company in Leeds said: “Two of our vehicles have been caught up in the public disorder in the Harehills area of Leeds this evening.

“We can confirm that both drivers are unhurt and we have no reports of injuries to passengers.

“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.”

Pictures show one bus being targeted by people seen kicking the front windscreen.

This morning, First Bus has confirmed that one of the company’s vehicles was set on fire with another caught up in the chaos.

A spokesperson for the company in Leeds said: “Two of our vehicles have been caught up in the public disorder in the Harehills area of Leeds this evening.

“We can confirm that both drivers are unhurt and we have no reports of injuries to passengers.

“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.”

Pictures show one bus being targeted by people seen kicking the front windscreen.

In a statement, the force said: “More officers have been deployed to the area to assist with the management of this incident.

“Some road closures are also being implemented and people are advised to avoid the area at this time.”

Yorkshire Police added that they will conduct a full investigation into “all criminal offences… including damage to vehicles from fire”.

“(All criminal offences), will be fully investigated by detectives from Leeds CID and the force’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team,” police said.

The spokesman assured the public those involved in the violent uprising would be held accountable for their actions.

The force added: “We want to make it very clear that the full weight of the law will be brought against those responsible.”

A photo has shown a police car overturned in Harehills, Leeds, where the riots originated.

Riesa, a pharmacy dispenser who did not want to give her last name, witnessed “quite violent” scenes, telling the PA news agency she saw people throwing items at police officers and cars.

The 26-year-old, who lives off Harehills Lane, where the riots took place, said: “They were attacking police cars, throwing things at the police cars – anything they could pick up off the floor really. Rocks from the garden, rubbish, drinks, anything.

“Drinks were definitely being throwing at the police – water or juice or fizzy drinks, or anything they had in their hands basically, at the cars because [the police] were trying not to get too close because it was quite violent.”

She said about an hour later, when she was back home, she heard “chanting and screaming” from outside, adding that it sounded like “a thousand people”.

“Looking out the window, you can see that people were attacking cars that were just at the traffic light trying to go past them, but they wouldn’t turn around because I think they were getting quite scared because there were so many people,” she continued.

“A few minutes after that, looking out my house, I could just see big black smoke coming from the main road.

“My husband said that they were pulling bins from people’s businesses or houses and just putting them into the middle of the road full of rubbish and just setting it on fire.”

She continued: “There was a bus at the lights, obviously stopped by all these people as well. He was trying to get past, obviously he couldn’t, so he just reversed and just stopped basically outside my street, and just left the bus there because he felt he was in danger.

“I did see people throwing things at the bus before the driver had got out. Someone threw some glass at the bus.”

The mayor of West Yorkshire has called for onlookers not to “inflame” tensions in Leeds in thinly-veiled swipe at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, mayor Tracy Brabin wrote: “Thank you to our emergency services in what is a very difficult situation.

“I’m being briefed by West Yorkshire Police and we are monitoring events.

“I’m reassured no one has been seriously injured but suggest those who are using this to inflame community tensions to think again.”

Earlier, we reported that Clacton MP Mr Farage claimed the riots were “the politics of the subcontinent playing out” in Leeds.

Below we have some of the latest pictures from Leeds, where riots broke out last night.

The details of what is happening Leeds are developing as we write but below is everything we know thus far.

At 5pm yesterday, officers were called to an incident at an address in Luxor Street in east Leeds where they found an “ongoing disturbance” involving agency workers and children, West Yorkshire Police said.

A crowd started to gather as the agency workers and children were relocated to a safer area, and more officers were requested to attend as “pockets of disorder” were emerging.

One eyewitness said it felt like there was more than a “thousand” people in the area by the late evening and into the night.

A bus had to be abandoned by a driver after he became trapped on the road by the encircling crowd.

First Bus later reported that one of their buses had been set ablaze, though nobody had been injured as a result.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned the violence.

Below we have the statement from the home secretary Yvette Cooper in response to the riots in Leeds.

A Leeds MP has hit back at claims by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage that the riots in Leeds were caused by the “politics of the subcontinent”, calling on his colleague in Commons to “issue an apology”.

Alex Sobel, the Labour MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has briefed you on.

“You are inflaming a situation with misinformation. Politicians have a responsibility to not exacerbate situations particularly with no knowledge of them.

I expect you to issue an apology.”