Riot police in Meadow Well, North Tyneside, were attacked with bricks, missiles, and fireworks during pre-arranged disorder on Bonfire Night, sparked by false rumours about a planned house in multiple occupation (HMO).
Violence Erupts in Meadow Well
Northumbria Police said they were subjected to violent attacks as they responded to reports of anti-social behaviour and other violent disorder in the Waterville Road area of Meadow Well, just outside Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Emergency services in the area had bricks, missiles, and fireworks thrown at them.
The force said the disorder was pre-arranged and related to misinformation in the community that the completed building would be used as an HMO. Police confirmed this was not accurate, stating the site is planned for use as a supermarket.
Police and Mayor Condemn Violence
Northumbria Police condemned the behaviour as completely unacceptable, adding that officers were working swiftly to identify those responsible and deal with them robustly. The force said it would not tolerate such behaviour, which does not belong within neighbourhoods, and urged anyone with information to contact them, quoting reference NP-20261105-0493.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness also condemned the violence, branding those involved as 'idiots' and saying: "This dangerous misinformation and the way it spreads needs to be tackled and the stupidity has to stop - there is no excuse for it." She expressed disgust at the scenes and said the thugs apparently thought they were attacking a planned HMO when it was destined to be a supermarket.
Incident in Glasgow
Elsewhere in the UK, Police Scotland said one arrest was made as officers and ambulance crews were targeted with fireworks and a police vehicle was set alight while they tried to reach an injured man in Glasgow.
