BBC Sunday, 27 May, 2001, 02:33 GMT 03:33 UK

Rioting youths fight police

Police have been battling to control riots involving up to 500 young people armed with petrol bombs and bricks in Oldham.

Greater Manchester police said the situation was a "major incident", and about 500 reinforcement officers in riot gear have been drafted in.

Several people were taken to hospital during the incident, which is believed to have flared after clashes between about 20 white and Asian youths just after 2030BST on Saturday.

By 0200BST, riot police had contained a group of around 400 Asian youths in the Glodwick area of the town.

A pub is reported to have been attacked, cars torched and police lines attacked with petrol bombs and bricks.

Police are believed to have made several arrests and about 20 officers have been injured.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester police said: "The situation follows fighting between white football fans and Asian youths.

"A small number of police vehicles have received minor damage and a small number of officers have received minor injuries."

BBC reporter Jim Clarke said a police chief superintendent at the scene had told him the idea was to pen the trouble into a contained area.

He said officers had made baton charges to clear the area, but had not moved after reports of a firearm being discharged.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman later confirmed a firearm had been recovered.

Tension

Senior police officers have met with local councillors and community leaders in an effort to restore order in the town.

Oldham has been a flashpoint of racist violence between white and Asian youths in recent weeks.

Problems in the area were brought to light when some Asian youths claimed they wanted to create "no-go zones" for white people because police had failed to react to attacks on their communities.

An attack on 76-year old war veteran Walter Chamberlain resulted in the National Front staging protests in the town, despite a three-month ban on political marches.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2001

Answers

BBC Monday, 28 May, 2001, 01:50 GMT 02:50 UK

Fresh violence follows Oldham riots

Police have warned they will not tolerate another riot Violent stand-offs between police and Asian youths have returned to the streets of Oldham, 24 hours after a night of rioting in the town. Petrol bombs and stones have been thrown, hundreds of riot police are out in force and there has been sporadic fighting at flashpoints in the area. Greater Manchester Police say three men white men have been arrested and charged with racially aggravated public order offences. An Asian man is also reported to have been arrested by a police snatch squad using dogs. Police promised zero tolerance on any trouble after what was described as "sheer carnage" of Saturday's running street battles. The riots left 15 officers injured and an area of the town scarred by burned out cars, rocks and broken windows. Ten civilians were also hurt, and 17 people were arrested. The BBC's social affairs reporter Barnie Choudhury said Sunday night's trouble was not on the scale of Saturday's violence, but the area was tense. He said police were targeting flashpoints - identifying a trouble spot, moving in and containing the problem before moving on. Pub attacked He said petrol bombs had been thrown in the Glodwick area, the scene of Saturday's worst stand-off where 500 youths hurled fire bombs, bricks and firecrackers at the police lines. Earlier on Sunday night trouble flared when a pub in Oldham town centre was attacked. The Jolly Carter was reportedly bombarded with bricks by up to 40 people who had been fighting outside. Elsewhere in the town about 30 white people chanted racist songs as they walked from pub to pub, but the group was quickly dispersed by police. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Green said on Sunday that the police response to further violence would be tough. "We are going to make sure the events of last night are not repeated. If they are we are going to deal with them," he said. He said police, who were still investigating the cause of Saturday's rioting, had the backing of local council leaders and representatives from ethnic communities in the Oldham area. Community leaders believe the violence erupted after a gang of white men attacked a shop and threw a brick through the window of a house in the Glodwick area, where a pregnant Asian woman lived. Racial tension Politicians condemned the violence, but the Liberal Democrats claimed Conservative comments on asylum may have stirred up racial tension. But Labour supported the Tories' denial that they could not be blamed. Oldham, where about 12% of the 219,000 population is of Asian origin, has seen several incidents of racial tension over the past few weeks. Last month national newspapers printed pictures of a 76-year-old war veteran who said he had been attacked by a gang of Asian youths. In early May Mr Straw banned political marches in the town, in response to fears of growing racial tension.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2001