Leeds was plunged into scenes of violence and chaos on Thursday night (July 18) as fires were ignited in the streets and police cars were overturned and smashed during a mass riot.

The unrest began when police were called to an incident on Luxor Street, Harehills, where hundreds of people had gathered. As crowds swelled, individuals were seen throwing objects at police vehicles and starting a large blaze in the middle of the road.

Witnesses described the situation as ‘mayhem’ and ‘a riot’ on social media. Numerous videos shared online depicted scooters, pushchairs, bikes, and bats being used to attack a police car.

A police inspector with West Yorkshire Police was filmed on social media urging residents to ‘stay in their houses’ amid the escalating chaos.

Clips showed large groups overturning a police car after smashing its windows, while other videos captured a significant number of officers attempting to control the unruly crowds.

West Yorkshire Police reported that they were initially called to an address on Luxor Street at 5 pm for a ‘disturbance’ involving agency workers and children. As the situation developed, more people arrived, leading to ‘pockets of disorder’ breaking out in the area.

“As of 9:30 pm, the incident was still ongoing,” a spokesperson for the force said. Officers attended and found an ongoing disturbance which involved some agency workers and some children. More people started to attend the location and a decision was made to remove the agency workers and the children to a safe place.

“A crowd started to gather and more officers were requested to attend the area, where some pockets of disorder were occurring.

“More officers have been deployed to the area to assist with the management of this incident. Some road closures are also being implemented and people are advised to avoid the area at this time. No injuries have been reported and enquiries are ongoing at the scene.”

The violence in Leeds follows a series of similar disturbances in other UK cities, highlighting a growing trend of public disorder. Authorities are urging calm and cooperation as they work to restore order and investigate the causes behind the riot.