Six arrests over Meadow Well Bonfire Night violence

Miller told BBC Radio Newcastle emergency services should not have had to experience assaults and “rioting and causing this amount of trouble gets you nowhere”.

He said the actions did not reflect most people living there.

Miller said his team had been aware of rumours circulating about the building for the past few weeks.

To counter them, the community centre held a meeting for residents last month alongside the building’s developer.

He said the developer emphasised to those who attended the site was due to be turned into a supermarket and the flats above would be occupied by anyone who went through the “process of getting somewhere to live”, including people from the estate.

The police said the flats above the supermarket would be for private rent.

Miller said the violence did not represent most people in Meadow Well.

He said people in the area were “creative, positive, enthusiastic, wonderful folk”.

“Those people exist here, live here and they have a right to enjoy and feel safe where they live,” he said.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she was “disgusted” by the violence which she said was carried out by a “minority of idiots”.

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