Man charged with arson and violent disorder after Harehills disturbances

Iustin Dobre, 37, of Clifton Mount, Harehills, was charged after a bus was set on fire during rioting in Harehills, Leeds, on Thursday evening, West Yorkshire Police said.

He was charged with violent disorder and arson reckless as to endanger life.

Police said he was remanded to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Earlier on Saturday, officers arrested another five people on suspicion of violent disorder. They remain in police custody.

Four people who were initially arrested have been bailed pending further investigation.

A peaceful vigil was held in Harehills on Friday evening. Police said a woman was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence before being released and given a conditional caution.

Officers said the rioting broke out in Harehills, in the east of the city, on Thursday evening as officers responded to reports of social workers experiencing hostility while dealing with a child protection issue.

Responding officers were attacked and helped social care staff to safety before the disorder escalated with people damaging vehicles and setting fires, according to Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs.

Specialist public order officers were deployed and came under a “barrage of bricks and missiles” from a large group of people.

A bus was set on fire and a police car was overturned as residents were warned to stay at home, with a large police presence and helicopters deployed to the area.

On Friday, representatives of the Roma community met Leeds City Council officials to express their concerns about a family matter.

In a statement, the council said it “has agreed to undertake an urgent review of the case and work with Romanian and Roma-led organisations, the churches, and the honorary consulate of Romania and other family representatives for the best interests of the family and wider Roma community.

“We are asking all communities to remain calm and to ensure that we do not see further disturbances such as those witnessed last night, which brought fear and upset to communities in Harehills.

“Local people are devastated by what happened, and we want to ensure there is no repeat of the distressing scenes we saw. Such actions will have a long-lasting and harmful impact on our community.

“The Romanian and Roma community have played a fantastic role in the community and have contributed much to the diversity and richness of the Harehills. We want this work to continue and develop further work that makes Harehills an even better place to work and live.

“The events of last night will not help our community or the family. We need to work together with the authorities to ensure that best outcomes for the community, and to ensure our voices are heard at the highest level so we can avoid such scenarios in the future.

“Please help us by remaining calm, keeping yourselves and your children safe, and by avoiding a repeat of last night’s disturbances. This is in the best interests of the family and the wider community.”