A police chief has defended policing of the bonfire night disturbances in Manningham and that fact that there have been no arrests.

Chief Inspector Des Broster, of Toller Lane Police, said: "I understand that some people might think the police are a bit hesitant to arrest younger people in the Manningham area.

"Let me be quite clear. There isn't a no-go area in Manningham. We have a positive arrest policy which works like this: Commit a crime, you have a high chance of being caught in Manningham, you are going to be arrested, you're going to go to court, like any other area, irrespective of your race."

He was speaking to the Telegraph & Argus after the paper received a number of letters asking why no one had been brought to justice.

Up to 80 youths were involved in various disturbances in the Manningham area throughout bonfire night.

Three cars were burnt out, a shop and disused garage gutted by fire, a phone box destroyed after gas canisters were thrown into it, and fireworks fired at Toller Lane police station by a gang of youths.

The police chief said after two members of the public reported petrol bombs were being made he deployed a team of 30 officers in protective clothing as a precaution but no evidence of petrol bombs was found.

He said police investigations had concluded the fires at the shop and disused garage were not suspicious and possibly caused by a stray firework.

Investigations into the car fires and the blaze in a phone box were ongoing.

Ch Insp Broster, who was in charge on the night, said only about half a dozen to a dozen youths were at the core of the main troubles while most of the community enjoyed the three organised bonfires.

He said: "At the time there were also a lot of women and children and other residents in the streets as well as the youths.

"I would much rather have a few fireworks thrown at the police station in youthful high jinx than sending in a load of police officers into a crowd of ordinary people with possibly serious consequences."

He said a police press release from an authorised source outside the Bradford area which incorrectly stated petrol bombs had been found had given the press an inaccurate impression of the situation.

Bradford Council's deputy leader, Councillor Mohammed Ajeeb, said: "I'm glad the police have admitted they had made a mistake. I hope now the police efforts will produce a better relationship between them and the Asian youths in the area. The police haven't let anyone off the hook."

The Council's Conservative deputy leader Coun John Wightman said: "Clearly it's a police matter and while nobody defends unlawful or destructive behaviour wherever it happens we have to keep it in proportion.

"Clearly this disturbance wasn't a riot in the sense of the 1995 riots. I think the incorrect police press release didn't help and there were clearly some wrongs perceptions and bad communications between the officers at the scene and those who released the information."

"We don't want to stigmatise this community simply because of the actions of a small group of individuals."

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