Riot police were called to the Meadow Well estate in the Waterville Road area of North Shields on Bonfire Night after reports of violent disorder, with a major 999 response deployed to the scene.
Pictures from the scene showed a building that had been targeted and set on fire, with police forming a barricade around it. Meadow Well Metro station was closed following the reports, and local residents described the scenes as "like something out of a movie".
Police say disorder was 'pre-arranged'
Northumbria Police quickly confirmed that they believed the disorder to be "pre-arranged" and the result of "misinformation" relating to the building which was targeted.
In a full statement about Thursday night's events, the force said: "We’re currently on scene in the Waterville Road area of Meadow Well in North Tyneside in response to reports of anti-social behaviour and other violent disorder. Emergency services in the area have been subjected to violent attacks including having bricks, missiles and fireworks thrown at them. We believe the disorder has been pre-arranged and relates to misinformation in the community that the completed building is going to be used as a House of Multi-occupancy (HMO) – which is not accurate. The site is planned for use as a supermarket. We are sharing this information to stop speculation in the community which may lead to further disorder. This behaviour is completely unacceptable, and we are working swiftly to identify those responsible and deal with them robustly. We simply will not tolerate this behaviour – and it doesn’t belong within our neighbourhoods. If you've got any information which could assist us to identify anyone involved, please send us a direct message, quoting: NP-20261105-0493."
Mayor condemns 'minority of idiots'
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness issued a statement condemning the violence, saying: "I’m disgusted by scenes of clearly pre-arranged violence in Meadow Well tonight, carried out by a minority of idiots. These thugs apparently thought they were attacking a planned HMO, when in fact, it was destined to be a supermarket. This dangerous misinformation and the way it spreads needs to be tackled and the stupidity has to stop - there is no excuse for it. Northumbria Police and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service go to work every day to protect us. They deserve better than this and so do the residents of the Meadow Well who have had to endure it."
Police said they are working swiftly to identify those responsible and deal with them robustly, and have asked anyone with information to contact them quoting incident number NP-20261105-0493.
