Rioters try to torch Rotherham asylum seeker hotel amid far-right violence

A far-right-led mob of masked rioters tried to set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers as further violence flared across the country at anti-immigration protests.

Some 700 people gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, before clashing with police. Some rioters hurled pieces of wood, bottles and chairs, and sprayed fire extinguishers at police officers.

South Yorkshire police said at least 10 officers had been injured, including one who was left unconscious with a head injury.

Footage from the scene showed a bin on fire and protesters, some draped in St George and union flags, chanting: “Get them out.” The demonstrators appeared at one point to storm into the hotel, with reports of a fire inside, and people peering out of windows.

The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned the rioters: “The criminal, violent attack on a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham is utterly appalling,” she said. “Deliberately setting fire to a building with people known to be inside.

“South Yorkshire police have full government support for the strongest action against those responsible.”

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Protests at the Holiday Inn Express began at midday, immediately turning into a riot when a mob of far-right individuals, mostly men, smashed windows and set a stairwell in the building alight, temporarily overwhelming police.

Shabnam Shabir, who came as part of a group of counter-protesters, said she had been left traumatised after her group was surrounded and kettled by the mob, who chanted racist words and called her the p-word.

“It was a lot of angry, angry, angry far right,” she said. “This is very scary.”

She was left stranded in her car outside the hotel, unable to leave until the rioters did. “And we have people inside of the hotel who are scared for their lives so it’s terrifying.”

Police closed roads around the hotel, which is on a major roundabout and connected by roads on three sides. By 5pm, they had made space around the building and pushed the rioters back with their shields.

A number of officers were injured, and one was taken to hospital with a head injury caused by a brick thrown by a member of the far right. One experienced South Yorkshire police officer said it was by far the worst riot he had attended.

A female rioter was crying as she was taken to safety behind the police line with a bleeding wound on the back of her head. Some parents had brought their children, who could be seen throwing stones at the riot police.

One woman, who had come with her partner and child to demonstrate outside the hotel claimed she had seen asylum seekers “with machetes and holding the British flag and sticking their fingers up at it”.

No other witnesses the Guardian spoke to had seen this.

“We’ve just come because we want our country back. This hotel was supposed to be for women and children but it’s full of men and there are loads of reports of them attacking women and stuff.”

Protesters occasionally broke into chants of “Tommy Robinson”, “Yorkshire” and “we want our country back”. Fireworks were aimed in the vicinity of mounted police. Two police helicopters circled ahead. Officers said they were expecting a long night.

Just after 6pm, South Yorkshire police said no hotel employees or guests had been hurt and that officers had regained access to the hotel and were “continuing to disperse” the rioters. One arrest has been made so far.

Assistant chief constable Lindsey Butterfield said the behaviour seen had been “nothing short of disgusting”.

She said: “While it was a smaller number of those in attendance who chose to commit violence and destruction, those who simply stood on and watched remain absolutely complicit in this.

“Those who choose to spread misinformation and hate online also need to take responsibility for the scenes today. This was not a protest, just angry people reacting to a false narrative who have their own motivations for doing so.

“All today has achieved is the diversion of police and partner resources, operational police officers who will now be away from active duty while they recover from their injuries, and the continued use of public money to clean up the mess they have left behind.”

Those involved in the violence “should expect us to be at their doors very soon”, she added.

Protests were also planned on Sunday in Bolton, Lancaster, Weymouth and Middlesbrough where more than 300 protesters marched through the city centre, chanting: “We want our country back”.

The rioters in Middlesbrough threw bricks, cans and pots at police, and pushed burning wheelie bins at a line of officers with shields, leaving a road strewn with smoking rubbish.

One group walked through a residential area smashing the windows of houses and cars. When asked by a resident why they were breaking windows, one replied “because we’re English”, the PA news agency reported.

Cleveland police said “a number of arrests” had been made since the protest started at about 2pm. “The public is asked to avoid the area,” a statement on social media added.

Elsewhere, Merseyside police introduced two section 60 orders giving officers greater stop-and-search powers covering Liverpool and Southport. The orders were put in place at 2pm on Sunday and will stay active for a 12-hour period.

Greater Manchester police said section 60 and section 60AA orders have been authorised across Bolton until 10pm on Sunday, after an early section 34 dispersal notice. A section 60AA requires people to remove face coverings used to disguise or conceal their appearance.

Rioting and disorder has continued in the wake of the killing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on Monday.

Axel Rudakubana, 17, from Lancashire, is accused of the attack, but false claims were spread online that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat. In the wake of these messages, far-right protesters – guided by social media – have gathered in towns and cities across the country.

At least 100 people were arrested after violence on Saturday in Hull, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Bristol, Manchester, Blackpool and Belfast.

Several police officers were injured, shops were looted and a library providing support for one of the most deprived communities in the country was set on fire.

But volunteers armed with brushes and bin bags joined council crews who worked through the night to reopen the streets.

“Yesterday we saw the worst of Hull but already today we have seen the best,” councillor Jack Haines of Hull city council said on Sunday as he thanked the “selfless” volunteers.

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The community also rallied together to help council workers in County Road, Walton, where the ground floor of Spellow Lane Library Hub suffered severe fire damage. Shelves of books were knocked over at the library which was due to host a programme of activities for young people in August and adult learning courses in September.

“I want to pay tribute to Merseyside police, the emergency services and Liverpool city council staff for their fast response in cleaning up, and also to those residents who came out to help – it has been heartening to see, and that is the real spirit of our city,” said councillor Liam Robinson, the leader of Liverpool city council.

“The violence we have seen on our streets is the manipulation of tragic events, an attack on our community by wanton criminals. We can’t allow a minority of mindless thugs to win. They are not representative of our city and we will be working with partners to ensure the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.

“Our priority is to assess the damage to Spellow Library and to bring it back into use as quickly as possible.”

Faith leaders across Merseyside said that communities who have been hard hit by the Southport killings and the violence that has spread afterwards are trying to rebuild.

In a joint statement, they said: “The people of all faiths and none who came out to sweep the streets, to rebuild walls and have so generously donated money in memory of those three girls: that is the spirit that will help us through this incredibly challenging time.

“While the events of this week may continue to shake our belief in humanity, it remains intact.

“We need to remain calm and peaceful at this time and, as faith leaders, we are united in our desire for peace and justice. Now is the time to take pride in our community spirit again.

“Within our different communities we pray for all those affected. And for all those injured to make a good recovery.”