Rotherham: Police will be ‘at the front door’ of hotel rioters

ACC Butterfield also criticised people who had used social media to “spread misinformation and hate” ahead of the planned protest.

She said: “Those people also need to take responsibility for the scenes we saw. This was not a protest, just angry people, reacting to a false narrative, shared by people who have their own motivations for doing so.”

South Yorkshire Police estimated that 700 people were in attendance. The Holiday Inn’s windows were smashed and missiles including wood, glass bottles and beer cans were thrown at officers.

Police were also sprayed with fire extinguishers. One officer suffered a head injury and another a suspected fractured elbow.

One person has been arrested, but the force said officers would be reviewing images and videos shared online to track down more offenders.

ACC Butterfield added: “Please be assured, our work does not end on Sunday – we have officers working hard, reviewing the considerable online imagery and footage of those involved, and they should expect us to be at their doors very soon.”

During the violence, a large bin close to a window of the hotel was set alight. A generator was also set on fire, and a number of small grass fires were lit. They were all extinguished by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

No hotel employees or residents were reported to be injured.