A man has been charged with arson and violent disorder after a bus was set on fire during riots in Leeds on Thursday night. 

He was named as Iustin Dobre, 37, and will appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

A further five people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder on Saturday and remain in police custody, West Yorkshire Police said.

On Friday, the force promised to “leave no stone unturned” in its hunt for those behind the disorder as officers arrested several people.

Rioting broke out in the Harehills area of Leeds on Thursday after police went to assist social workers dealing with a child protection issue.

It quickly spiralled, with a police car overturned, officers pelted with rocks and bottles, and residents told to stay indoors.

A vigil was held in Harehills on Friday night, which police said “passed off peacefully”.

One woman was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence. She was released and given a conditional caution.

Police said they would keep an increased presence in the area over the coming days.

Read more:
Leeds council conducting ‘urgent review’ of ‘family matter’
‘Very visible police presence’ on streets of Leeds after riot

The latest arrests come as the Green Party councillor for Harehills hit out at Nigel Farage after he claimed the disorder was the “politics of the sub-continent”.

As police flooded the area, Mr Farage wrote on X: “The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Mothin Ali, Green Party councillor for Gipton and Harehills ward, said: “Farage is in America commenting about a community he knows nothing about.

“As he has done time and time again he seeks to use tensions to further societal division for his own political gain.

“I ask him politely, to leave us alone as we undertake the work needed to bring our community back together.”

On Friday, representatives of the Roma community met Leeds City Council officials to express their concerns about the family matter that escalated into unrest.

The council said it had agreed to an “urgent review” of the case and would “work with Romanian and Roma-led organisations… for the best interests of the family and wider Roma community”.

“We are asking all communities to remain calm and to ensure that we do not see further disturbances,” it said, adding that Thursday’s incident “will not help our community or the family”.

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The Green Party has praised Mr Ali for “bringing calm and unity” after the unrest.

He was filmed trying to stop more objects being added to the fire and urging rioters to calm down.

“Mothin risked putting himself in harm’s way to keep the peace and worked tirelessly throughout the night to reduce tension and support the police officers that were at the scene,” a Green Party spokesperson said.

“His courage and conviction are a shining example of the work councillors across the country do for their local communities.”

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