14 Halton Moor youths given anti-social behaviour injunctions after police van set on fire in Leeds

-> West Yorkshire Police boss speaks out over 'shocking' Halton Moor police attack

On Thursday September 19, a disturbance on Ullswater Crescent, Leeds, left a police van torched and a group of youths threw bricks at officers.

The youths given the injunctions, who are all under 18, carried out a catalogue of incidents which include assaults, carrying weapons such as knives, criminal damage of property and vehicles, fireworks being put through letter boxes and threatening behaviour and targeted abuse of residents and vulnerable people.

They will face potential further action including a six-month supervision order or three months detention if they are found to have breached any of the conditions of the injunction.

The terms of the injunction include restrictions on behaving in a manner that causes nuisance or annoyance to any local residents, using threatening and abusive language and entering, attempting to enter or remaining within, or loitering outside five stores in the area.

Each of the youths will also be subject to a strict curfew at their home property between the hours of 8pm and 6am daily, and are also restricted from entering Kendal Drive.

The move to secure the injunction follows a catalogue of incidents recorded by LASBT and West Yorkshire Police in the Halton Moor area by the youths.

It also follows an incident in Ullswater Crescent on September 19 where a police crime scene investigation van was set on fire and bricks were thrown at other police vehicles by youths in the area.

Leeds Anti-social Behaviour team work closely with a range of partners including the police to tackle a variety of anti-social behaviour issues.

Anyone suffering from anti-social behaviour can contact LASBT in the following ways: To report in the daytime call 0113 222 4402 or out of hours on 0113 3760337 (between 6pm and 3.30am).

For non-emergencies, please ring West Yorkshire Police on 101.

Paul Money, Leeds City Council’s chief officer for Safer Leeds, said: “We will not tolerate any form of anti-social behaviour, and residents can be assured that we will always use every tool at our disposal to put a stop to it as soon as possible.

“The behaviour of these 14 youths in the Halton Moor estate was completely unacceptable, which is why we took the decision to secure these anti-social behaviour injunctions through the courts. The terms of the injunction will put a number of restrictions on these youths in terms of their behaviour and also restrict them from entering or loitering around five local shops where they have previously caused problems. I also welcome a curfew from 8pm-6am, which will restrict these individuals every day to their homes during these times.

“I hope the action that we have taken today sends out a very strong message to others involved in this type of anti-social behaviour that it will not be ignored and they will face tough consequences. I would urge anyone who is experiencing any form of anti-social behaviour to not suffer in silence, but to please contact our dedicated LASBT team as soon as possible.”

Superintendent Jackie Marsh, of the Safer Leeds partnership, said: “The quality of life of local residents in Halton Moor has been really badly affected by repeated incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour linked to this group.

“By working in partnership we have been able to take firm action to address the problems and we hope these injunctions, alongside other work, will have a lasting impact on the situation.

“These injunctions should give real support to the ongoing partnership work we are carrying out in the area, and we hope that residents will see some significant improvements.

“We are determined to keep doing everything we can to tackle the issues, and this latest action should serve as a very clear warning to those who selfishly persist in making other peoples’ lives a misery.

“Both police and council staff will be continuing to monitor the situation in this area over the coming weeks and months and will take robust action to make sure these issues are not just displaced elsewhere.”

The terms of the injunctions are:

Using threatening or abusive words or gestures to any person on the Halton Moor estate (Leeds) as shown coloured yellow on the attached map.

Inflicting or threatening to inflict unlawful violence upon any person on the Halton Moor estate (Leeds) as shown coloured yellow on the attached map.

Behaving in a manner that causes nuisance or annoyance to any person resident on the Halton Moor estate (Leeds) as shown coloured yellow on the attached map.

Entering, attempting to enter or remaining on Kendal Drive, Halton Moor, Leeds.

Entering, attempting to enter or remaining within, or loitering outside any of the following stores:

McColls, Selby Road, Leeds

Shokar, Selby Road, Leeds

Lidl, Selby Road, Leeds

Better Buy, Selby Road, Leeds

Barry’s Post Office, Halton Moor Avenue, Leeds

Wearing any item of clothing which covers your face or is intended to disguise your identity

Associating with in any place to which the public have access, any one or more of the following persons:

Being anywhere other than your home address between the hours of 8pm and 6am daily (this is a curfew which means you must be at home after 8pm in the evening until 6am the next morning)