Violent clashes on the streets of Stoke-on-Trent

This afternoon we witnessed violence and disorder on the streets of Hanley in Stoke-on-Trent. A lot of the demonstrators were carrying football flags and covering their faces, the vast majority we spoke with were all local.

At one point in the early afternoon a large group maybe 100 or more charged the city centre and shoppers were forced to take cover inside shops. Our own reporter had to run inside a shop to avoid the group. Many innocent shoppers got caught up in the chaos and were unable to return to their cars for a period of time. It is estimated that over 100 police officers were on duty in Hanley today.

We spoke to one man in his 70s who said he had come to the town to get shopping and was unable to walk home as he did not feel it was safe, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do, and how he was going to walk home. Many shops in the town centre were advised to close early as trouble escalated on the streets.

Our reporters on the ground were able to see violence between the two groups of protesters and counter-protesters close to the Darul Falah mosque in Town Road, Hanley. The police were on site and doing as much as they could to stop the two groups from clashing, but at times clashes did break out.

A statement from Stoke-on-Trent Police reads: “Specialist officers and public order resources are continuing to respond to disorder in Stoke-on-Trent. We acted on information about a planned protest in Hanley and deployed a number of officers to ensure we could keep people safe.

“There is growing speculation that a stabbing has taken place as a result of the disorder today. We can confirm this information is false and no stabbings have been reported to police or emergency responders, despite videos fuelling speculation on social media.

“We can confirm a man was injured after being hit by a blunt object that was thrown. His injuries are not thought to be serious and he has been taken to hospital for treatment.

“Four men have been arrested in connection with the disorder and are currently in custody for questioning.

“A number of protesters have dispersed from the location while a large-scale policing presence with specialist public order resources remain in the area.

“A section 34 dispersal notice has also been authorised, allowing police to disperse people who may return to the area.”