Scorched road still bears scars of Harehills disorder – as councillor calls for answers one year on

A blackened patch of tarmac on Foundry Approach remains untouched - a grim scar still visible a year on from the night Harehills erupted into violent disorder.

- by James Connolly

It is the site where a burning double-decker bus stood as it was torched overnight, leaving behind a carcass of melted plastic and steel. By morning, only scorched metal remained, a reminder of how quickly tensions had spiralled into chaos.

The violence began at around 5pm on 18 July 2024, when West Yorkshire Police responded to a disturbance on Luxor Street. Crowds quickly gathered at the scene, with some filming officers and confronting them.

As tensions escalated, a police car was attacked - its windows smashed before being overturned in the street. Officers retreated at one point after being outnumbered. Meanwhile, videos of the disorder flooded social media, drawing national attention as the situation spilled into full-scale riot scenes.

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For Coun Mothin Ali, who was on the ground in the east Leeds suburb, the stains on the road are a symbol of a community still in recovery.

"If we want to heal, we need to remove the scars," he told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

"I've been trying to get the road resurfaced because you can still see the melted plastic and burn marks. But I'm told that because the plan for city roads has already been made, there's not a budget for the work."