More than 20 people have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder after Bonfire Night violence erupted on the Meadow Well estate in North Shields, with the youngest suspect aged just 12. The disorder, believed to have been pre-planned, saw fireworks hurled at a building and a car driven into it while police officers were attacked.
Rumours sparked disorder
The violence was sparked by incorrect rumours that the new building on Waterville Road would be used to house asylum seekers. One eyewitness told ChronicleLive that around 200 "kids" were involved in the scenes on November 5.
This is the second year the estate has seen serious disorder on Bonfire Night. Locals told ChronicleLive they feared young people were travelling to the Meadow Well from elsewhere in the region to take part in the violence.
Community concerns
Anne McKeown, 67, said she had heard that youths had come from the West End of Newcastle to get involved. Solomon Lennox, CEO of the Cedarwood Trust, a community development charity on the estate, told ChronicleLive he believes the Meadow Well had become attractive to some wanting to take part in anti-social behaviour.
He said: "Bonfire Night in a way offers an umbrella where it seems permissible to engage in anti-social behaviour. There absolutely was people from the estate involved in that disorder, we can't get away from that, but it's also a bit of a place for people to come."
Police response
The violence has been condemned by police, politicians and residents, and is believed to have delayed the opening of a new branch of Heron Foods, which the ground floor of the building had been set to house.
Earlier in the week, Chief Supt Daniel Whyte, Northumbria Police's Area Commander for North Tyneside, said: "We will absolutely not tolerate the behaviour seen in the Meadow Well, now, or ever and will do our utmost to trace those responsible and have them brought to justice. We thank those who have provided information towards our investigation and shown support for our officers. We also recognise the overwhelming number of people in the community will condemn this type of behaviour, and the response we have seen with information which has helped us make these arrests clearly demonstrates this."
