Battle for truth behind 1958 riots in St Ann's

Confidential documents detailing what took place in the 1958 St Ann's riots were sealed for 100 years at the time and won't be released until 2058. George Palmer-Soady talks to a campaigner who says it is time to lift the embargo and discover what really happened

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FILM depictions, exhibitions and academic studies - the Notting Hill race riots of 1958 have been widely reported and analysed.

It was the summer when simmering tensions between primarily Caribbean migrants and white working-class communities boiled over.

The violence that played out across the London district has become an important part of Britain's postwar history and remains relevant today.

But six days previously, Nottingham was also the backdrop of wide spread racial tension.

The St Ann's riots began on August 23 and would last for weeks. Knives, sticks and machetes were used and dozens were injured.

But why does it remain a mere footnote in Britain's - and even Nottingham's - history?

"It should be remembered as a very significant moment, but as it stands, it's been censored," says Fatou Marong.

The 28-year-old student, from Strelley, is heading a campaign to unearth documents that will reveal what really happened during the riots.

Court records and similar confidential files from both the Nottingham and Notting Hill riots detailing the actions of police were quickly sealed from the public in 1958.

Under a longstanding law, certain historical records and documents held by government departments can be locked away from the public to protect sensitive information from being released.

Officials at the Home Office in 1958 - including the then Home Secretary, Rab Butler - sealed away court documents from the UK riots under this law.

The Notting Hill documents were initially sealed for 75 years. The documents about St Ann's were sealed for 100 years.