Rotherham Riots: Police Condemn ‘disgusting display of thuggery’ That Left 12 Officers Injured
At least 12 police officers were injured during disorder outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham on Sunday.Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield, of South Yorkshire Police, said the injuries followed “a day and night of violence and disorder”, adding: “I can confirm today that we have seen at least 12 of our officers injured with items such as bricks, fenceposts, branches and other missiles thrown at them.
Transcript
00:00Following a day and night of violence and disorder in Wath-upon-Durne yesterday,
00:05Sunday the 4th of August, focused on a hotel housing asylum seekers, I can confirm today
00:12we have seen at least 12 of our officers injured with items such as bricks, fence posts, branches
00:19and other missiles thrown at them. Our police dogs suffered minor injuries after missiles
00:25were launched at them and horses had bricks, eggs, bottles and beer cans thrown at their heads.
00:34They were spat at and threats made to cut the saddles in an attempt to injure the riders.
00:40So far we have had six arrests, one in Sheffield and five in Rotherham, with one person already
00:46charged and before the court this morning. Please be assured we expect this number to
00:52increase significantly over the coming days. It began yesterday around 11.30am when a group of
01:00250 arrived in the Manvers area of Wath-upon-Durne. A further group of around 500 people arrived
01:08shortly after who we believe held far-right and anti-immigration views. At the same time
01:16a large crowd began to gather in Sheffield city centre, diverting a number of force resources.
01:23It was at this point we began to see an escalation in violence in Wath. Hotel windows were smashed
01:30and there was a concerted effort to cause damage to the interior and serious harm to those inside.
01:37There was a particularly sickening moment when a wheelie bin was pushed against the hotel and set
01:42on fire with the clear intent to cause serious harm to the residents and staff. It was known
01:50there were people residing and working in the hotel but the mindless individuals responsible
01:55had absolutely no regard for their safety. It was ultimately a disgusting display of thuggery
02:03continuing well into the evening with our policing operation only finishing around 5am.
02:10I want to say a heartfelt thanks to all those involved from South Yorkshire Police
02:14and the many forces who provided us with mutual aid, our partners in the fire and ambulance service
02:21and local partners for their continued support. I would also like to thank those who've already
02:27sent kind messages to the force. Officers have worked through the night to begin identifying
02:33those involved in these horrendous scenes. Please be assured if you were there we will find you
02:40and you will be held accountable for your part in yesterday's violence.
02:45To our local communities and particularly in Manvers, yesterday was a dark day and we know
02:51this was felt across our county. Our priority will always be public safety and you will see
02:58an increase of officers across South Yorkshire over the coming weeks. Finally we will be sharing
03:04a link for anyone with footage from yesterday that they wish to share with us. Alternatively
03:10you can report any information anonymously via Crimestoppers. Thank you.