Harehills disorder: Three jailed for setting fire to bus in Leeds

At Leeds Crown Court, prosecutor Richard Holland KC said the double-decker hybrid bus was forced to stop by the crowds and passengers had to disembark before it was set alight.

He told the court the bus driver had been off work since the incident with mental health concerns and there was a possibility he might not return to his role.

A statement by First Bus said the loss of the bus had cost the company £500,000 and other drivers had since expressed concerns about driving through the Harehills area.

The court was told women and children were crying during the violence and some families kept their children off school because they feared further incidents.

The men were the first to receive jail sentences following the disorder in Harehills, described by Judge Tom Bayliss KC as “mob violence”.

West Yorkshire Police has said more than 40 arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing.

The court heard the financial impact of the disorder that night to West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire Service was £300,000.

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