Harehills: Night of chaos in Leeds with 'shocking' riot scenes - how disorder unfolded through the evening

In their official statement, West Yorkshire Police said: “At 5pm today (Thursday), police were called to an ongoing incident at an address in Luxor Street, Harehills.

“Officers attended and found an ongoing disturbance which involved some agency workers and some children.

“More people started to attend the location and a decision was made to remove the agency workers and the children to a safe place.

“A crowd started to gather and more officers were requested to attend the area, where some pockets of disorder were occurring.

“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.

“No injuries have been reported and enquiries are ongoing at the scene.”

A video shared with the YEP appears to show a First bus vehicle, near the Compton Road area of Harehills, completely ablaze

One eye witness told the YEP that “hundreds of people” had gathered in Harehills amid the ongoing incident. Police have urged residents to stay away from the area.

In their initial statement, uploaded earlier this evening, police said “no injuries have been reported and enquiries are ongoing at the scene”.

In a video, posted at about 8.20pm on X, Leeds City Councillor, Coun Salma Arif alongside West Yorkshire Police’s East Leeds Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Nicholls, urged people to “stay at home”.

“There is an ongoing situation currently in Harehills, we’re aware of that,” Coun Arif said.

“We are asking everybody in the area: please stay at home at this moment in time. “

Insp Nicholls added: “If you can all just stay where you are, we will manage this. And if you’re out in the crowd, I’d just ask you to go home please so we can keep everybody safe.”

Pictures continue to show disorder around the Compton Road area of Harehills

One eye witness, who saw the First bus vehicle go up in flames, told the YEP he had “never seen anything like it”.

He said: “‘I can feel the heat off the bus that is on fire from 40 yards away

“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

More pictures are coming in. This one appears to be the same bus that was on fire earlier - now almost completely destroyed.

Dramatic footage shows a bus engulfed in flames as huge crowds watch on in Harehills.

West Yorkshire Police have said that it follows a disturbance in the area. As crowds swelled, road closures were put in place.

Here is some footage from the scene -

New Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, MP for Pontefract, Castleford & Knottingley, has issued a statement on X.

Here is another image, taken at about 10.45pm from Harehills. It appears to show crowds gathering around a junction with fires continuing to burn.

Here is our full story on statements issued by West Yorkshire Police and the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper:

Police statement in full on Leeds riot scenes as Home Secretary brands incident 'shocking' and 'appalling'

One eye witness described how he saw people “charge” at police earlier on as the disorder unfolded in Harehills.

He said: “Police were lined up on Harehills Lane and they got charged by a load of people.”

“It's dispersing a bit now. There's two vehicles burning.”

Leeds Central and Headingley MP, Alex Sobel, has issued a riposte to comments made by MP Nigel Farage on X.

Fires are still being reported in Harehills.

One witness told the YEP that some people are now hurling rubbish and bins onto the bus - which has been destroyed after it was set alight earlier - in an effort to keep the fire burning.

Dramatic footage shows more crowds gathering.

Tensions are continuing to escalate, following the incident earlier this evening.

Here is more footage from the scene -