Leicester quiet after disorder arrests, say policeon September 20, 2022 at 8:41 am

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Officers have carried out “proactive patrols” overnight and reported no new problems in Leicester.

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Police said “proactive patrols” continued in East Leicester overnight following disorder at the weekend.

Tensions involving mainly young men from sections of the Muslim and Hindu communities saw unrest on Saturday night.

Twenty-five officers and a police dog were injured, with 47 people arrested and one jailed, police said.

Leicestershire Police said no new incidents of disorder had been reported.

Police facing protestors

Amos Noronha, 20, of Illingworth Road, Leicester, was jailed for 10 months on Monday after he pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.

The force’s temporary chief constable Rob Nixon said officers, included mounted personnel, had been drafted in from other forces and had faced “significant aggression”.

While the number of officers hurt had risen from 16 to 25, Mr Nixon said none of the injuries were serious.

Police said the original disorder on Saturday had been sparked by a protest in the East Leicester area.

Mr Nixon defended the force’s approach to this event.

“There was no direct intelligence relating to the volume of people that were going to mobilise early on Saturday.

“My officers were dispatched in order to try to engage and seek co-operation.

“They were confronted by in excess of 300 people and there were eight officers at the time and they did the best they could in the circumstances.”

Another protest involving about 100 people followed on Sunday, but police said the area was quiet overnight into Monday.

Humberstone Road

Two people were arrested during the disorder on Saturday – one on suspicion of possession of a bladed article, and the other on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder.

Police said a further 18 people were arrested on Sunday night for offences including affray, common assault, possession of an offensive weapon and violent disorder.

The arrests included people from outside of the city, including some from Birmingham, officers said.

Community leaders in the city have joined police in calling for calm.

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “We often talk about the good community relations in Leicester, but you can never be complacent about it, you can never take it for granted.

“It is always a work in progress and it is quite clear there is work to be done here.”

Suleman Nagdi, of the Leicester-based Federation of Muslim Organisations, earlier told the BBC: “There are some very dissatisfied young men who have been causing havoc.

“We need to get the message out that this must end and try to do this through parents and grandparents talking to their sons.”

Sanjiv Patel, who represents Hindu and Jain temples across Leicester, said: “Violence is not a solution to anything. This has to be a time for peace, calm and engagement.”

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