Right-wing yobs linked to night of violence (UK)

Far-right groups have been linked to the rioting in Manchester and Salford. Police say thugs connected to extreme political groups may have helped orchestrate serious disorder and looting in both cities.

Chief Constable Peter Fahy said he believed that organised crime groups were behind the most violent trouble in Manchester and around Salford Shopping City, in Pendleton.

But officers and community leaders also believe right-wing activists were involved.

One Salford councillor, who asked not to be named, said: "It is common knowledge that elements of these organisations were on the streets, in the thick of it, when it was happening."

In Manchester, the yobs’ main aim seemed to be wanton looting.

But in Salford, officers came under particularly ferocious attack.

Six officers were injured, including a superintendent, who was struck by a brick.

Around 200 youths chased officers, looted shops and torched cars a supermarket and a council office.

Mr Fahy claimed the attacks on officers in Salford could be a backlash against recent operations to disrupt ‘untouchable’ criminals in the city.

Mr Fahy said: "Salford seemed to have a lot more organisation around it.

"It was of a different tone. We have given a hard time to persistent criminals and organised crime outfits – no doubt some of those saw this as an opportunity to get back to us.

"If they see an opportunity to bait local police, they will take it."

He described how in both cities there was clear evidence of criminal planning

"You could see some people on mobile phones outside shops calling their mates saying ‘come to this one, we’ve managed to break in’."

It was the worst disorder in Salford has seen since the summer of 1992 when scores of cars, a carpet warehouse, and the unemployment office in Ordsall were set on fire. Firefighters and a police dog handler were shot at.

That was triggered by a police crack down on criminals and the seizure by officers of a Sierra Cosworth car belonging to one criminal.

Manchester Evening News

More people driven out by racists (Northern Ireland)

The number of households intimidated from their homes by racists in Northern Ireland has doubled in four years, it has been revealed.

The mass flight of Roma families from south Belfast in 2009 contributed to the dramatic increase in the number left homeless, said the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).

A total of 100 Romanians fled their homes in the city following the spate of racist attacks.

The number of cases increased from 41 in 2006/7 to 96 in 2009/10.

The families who left in June 2009 were members of the Roma ethnic group. They said they felt frightened and vulnerable after their homes were targeted.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive later paid for them to return to Romania using emergency funds. The group had been living in south Belfast - the part of Northern Ireland which had the highest number of reported racist incidents.

An OFMDFM statement published this week said there has been some increase in the number of households presenting as homeless both as a result of sectarian and racial intimidation, the increase being more dramatic for those attributing their homelessness status to racism and likely to be linked to the attacks on Roma families in June 2009.

It added: "Collectively, there has been an increase of 63 such cases since recording began. The 2009/10 figures of 96 for those citing racial intimidation as the reason for their state of homelessness represents a rise for two consecutive years."

According to OFMDFM, the number of racially motivated hate incidents is down by a fifth from 1,047 incidents in 2006/07 to 842 in 2010/11.

Crimes with a racist motivation fell by a quarter between 2009/10 and 2010/11 (712 versus 531). The past five years has recorded a downward trend in this crime type, the OFMDFM written answer to DUP MLA Jonathan Craig said. The 2010/11 figure is the lowest since 2004/05 when they were first presented.

Belfast Telegraph