Thirteen people due in court over Harehills Bonfire Night chaos which saw police injured

Riot police were rushed to Harehills Road in November 2019 at around 7pm when youths threw fireworks and missiles at officers and set fire to bins.

Officers had initially responded to reports of youths gathering in the Banstead Park area and lighting a fire at about 6pm.

Roads were barricaded and damage was caused to police vehicles, buses and cars, street furniture and buildings.

Police had cleared the area shortly after midnight.

Six officers received injuries during the incidents, with two treated in hospital for minor injuries.

A total of 15 people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder at the time.

Leeds District CID launched Operation Daydon to track down those responsible.

Detectives spent months trawling through hours of CCTV and bodycam footage to identify further suspects.

A further eight arrests were made during an operation led by the Leeds East Neighbourhood Policing Team in May this year.

Now, five men, one woman and seven boys, aged between 15 and 17, have been charged by postal requisition to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court on Thursday, October 8.

The youths involved cannot be named due to legal reasons, but the adults are:

Georgia Walker, aged 18, of Mexborough Grove, Chapeltown.

Zohaib Ahmed, aged 18, of St Wilfrids Drive, Harehills.

Nikolas Gasper, aged 18, of Victoria Road, Keighley.

Josh Smith, aged 22, of Sutherland Road, Harehills.

Leonard Gheorge, aged 18, of Shepherds Place, Chapeltown.

Timotei Adavani, aged 20, of Seaforth Avenue, Harehills.

Police said enquiries are ongoing to find and charge four further males who have been identified as suspects.

Three other youths, aged 12 to 14, who were arrested, were referred to the Youth Offending Team.

*************************

A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.

Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you

Laura Collins