by Joanne Earp, Nick Oldham & Olwen Vasey
Asian community leaders today condemned a mob of about 80 youths who clashed with police in a night of bonfire violence.
The rampaging youths were roundly criticised by the city's Asian community leaders and local politicians who appealed for calm.
Trouble flared in two waves last night as police came under attack from youths hurling fireworks and rockets near Toller Lane police station in Manningham. Police said youths had ignored requests from community leaders to disperse.
Police reported they had found petrol bombs after searching the area but later retracted this statement.
Violence erupted at 8.30pm when youths torched a phone box in Heaton Road after hurling a gas cylinder which failed to ignite.
Ten minutes later the mob torched a two-storey bargain shop and disused car lot in Garfield Avenue.
Fire also broke out at nearby Lister's Mill caused by what police believe was a stray firework.
At this point the rampaging youths were about 50 to 60 strong. Police dispersed the mob and by 10.30pm officers in riot gear had shut Lilycroft Road and Oak Lane.
Three cars were torched in Drummond Road and North Park Road during the disturbance
Teams of riot police were called in and fire engines at the scene were told to withdraw. Officers from other West Yorkshire divisions were drafted in to deal with the trouble.
Oak Lane and Heaton Road were sealed off and a police helicopter circled the area.
The second wave of violence erupted at 1am when a mob of about 80 youths started hurling fireworks and rockets.
A barrage of missiles aimed at officers and the police station continued until officers in riot gear moved in to disperse the crowd.
There were no reports of injuries and no arrests were made.
Amria Khatun, chairman of the Young People's Forum, who had earlier in the week called for local youths to join in specially arranged family bonfires, said: "A few people spoilt it for everyone else."
She said she was saddened by the trouble which wrecked the reputation of people working to create good community relations in the area.
Bradford West MP Marsha Singh said: "We condemn the young people who were engaged in this.
"They need to think about the bad image they bring to Manningham. Businesses and the community are just recovering from last time.
"But this incident is typical of what can happen anywhere. We need to look at this with cool heads and put it in perspective."
Labour Ward Councillor Sajawal Hussain said the trouble was unexpected because Wednesday night had been peaceful.
Coun Hussain, who toured the area with police during the night said: "All of a sudden trouble started at 8.30pm when youths threw canisters into a telephone box at Heaton Road. It was very irresponsible. It was near houses."
Coun Hussain said the trouble appeared to have died down but ten minutes later there was a fire in a disused garage at Garfield Avenue. "There were 50 to 60 youths. Police were worried."
Coun Hussain said the crowd later dispersed but private cars were stoned.
He said by 10.30pm police were standing by in riot gear and had shut Lilycroft Road and Oak Lane on the Manningham side.
"It was right for the police to be in riot gear because they had to act on information they received. I completely condone what the police did."
Toller Lane police Divisional Commander Superintendent John Crosse said bonfire night had largely past off peacefully. "However a small minority who seemed intent on causing trouble had it in mind to spoil this good work." He confirmed that police had received a call from a concerned local resident who thought petrol bombs were being manufactured by the youths near Oak Lane.
But he said there was no evidence to support this.
As soon as the report was received, police in protective gear searched the area but found nothing apart from some empty milk bottles.
Superintendent Crosse said the way in which information was released last night may have given the impression that the incident was more serious than it was.
He said an internal inquiry is underway as to how the exaggerated account was released to the media.
Residents and shop owners in Manningham today described the horrendous night of violence as youths went on the rampage.
Locals said they feared for their homes and businesses following the latest spate of trouble.
Streets in the area were littered with spent fireworks and the smell of sulphur was still in the air this morning.
One witness, a local businessman who did not want to be named, said: "There were only a few youths to begin with. They started throwing fireworks at the police vans. When the riot police appeared the youths stood in the road taunting them.
"They find it funny to set things on fire and start trouble. They're just idiots. It's the local businesses that are left picking up the pieces the next morning. Things were just getting back to normal after last year's riots. Now it will all start going downhill again."
One resident of Garforth Avenue said: "The helicopter was flying over and there were lots of people here. Somebody was banging on my door at one point but we were very frightened and didn't come out."
Another resident who also asked not to be named said it was par for the course in Manningham.
He said: "I was coming back from work last night and the person who was driving me said he was too scared to go down the road because people were throwing fireworks. It was not scary because that's just what life's like around here nowadays."
Janice Greenwood of Garforth Avenue said she heard helicopters flying overhead. "I heard the helicopters and I knew there were riots. It's always like this around here. It's scary because they were throwing fireworks. You come to expect it round here. It's rough."
A man living next door to the garage told how he was frightened at the blaze at the building in Garfield Avenue.
He said: "There were plenty of people and there was smoke and burning everywhere. Youths were knocking on my door and it scared me."
No officers were injured and there were no arrests."
One of the victims of the rioting was student teacher David Mitchell, 24, whose car was burnt out by rioters after he left it for just 30 minutes while visiting a friend in Victor Road, Manningham, at 9pm.
"I just came out of the house and it was there smouldering," he said.
"We didn't hear anything what with all the fireworks going off.
"We called the police but they said there was a major disturbance in Oak Lane and we weren't a priority
Mr Mitchell, of Bingley, said the Ford Fiesta was vital for his final teaching practice at Scotchman Road Middle School in Manningham.
He said he had just spent £300 getting it through its MOT and feared there was little chance of insurers giving him a full pay-out on its value to him of about £1,000 and it would mean catching two buses to the school carrying all the books and papers he needed.
Asian community leaders today condemned Bradford's Bonfire Night violence.
And, as daylight revealed the full scale of the damage, they were left trying to making sense of how it all happened.
Amria Khatun, chairman of the Young People's Forum, which was set up after the 1995 riots, said she was very saddened by the trouble.
Three organised family bonfires had been arranged by the forum and other groups in Patent Street, Westbourne Green and Drummond Road.
"We wanted to provide people with an alternative to trouble," she said.
"The majority were out to have a good time - family fun - and there only a few people spoilt it for everyone else. When this trouble happens it is started by a couple of people and a couple more jumped on the bandwagon. It's such a shame. Oak Lane always gets the worst of it every year."
Khadim Hussain, of the Bradford Council for Mosques, said: "I don't know what the reason for this was but it has really shocked me. Burning property and this sort of destruction isn't good."
Manningham Residents' Association chairman Faqir Rahman said he spoke to the police and the youths after trouble threatened to erupt.
"At about 10.30pm there wereabout 100 youths. I went to speak to them with Councillor Sajawal Hussain. We said there was already enough bad name in the area. I said 'You are destroying all the businesses in Oak Lane.'
"We tried our best to move all the youths. Many of them did move and about a dozen or half a dozen were left."
He said the youths were using Bonfire Night as a time to express their dissatisfaction with life.
"It's about unemployment. I was talking to them and I was saying 'Are you at school?' and they said they'd left. They are really fed up but this isn't the way to deal with this."
Bradford Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said: "We condemn any violence on the streets. Unfortunately we have Bradford on the national news for the wrong reasons."
Deputy Council leader Coun Mohammed Ajeeb - previously Britain's first Asian Lord Mayor - said: "I am deeply concerned about what happened and I am collating information from all sides."
Manawar Jan-Khan, of the Police Race Monitoring Group, an initiative of the Manningham Residents' Association, said: "Everyone thinks 'here we go again' and it's so sad.
"It happened last year and last night as well. I think it was spontaneous and an opportunity for some people to cause trouble.
"But that shouldn't have arisen if effective strategies were in place. What happened last night is another failure of the agencies that are supposed to be working in Manningham and Girlington.
"We need to tackle the issues of gang rivalries."
Ishtiaq Ahmed, of Bradford Racial Equality Council, said: "I understand it all started as over excitement around the bonfire just opposite the police station. I wouldn't want to read any kind of social reasons into this particular incident.
"There is a level of discontentment but my own feeling is that last night's incident wasn't anything to do with that.
"It is sad because once again it puts Manningham in the limelight for the wrong reasons. Many people from agencies and the community have worked so hard since 1995 to give Manningham a positive projection. Then we have an incident like this which spoils it and gives the area a bad name."
Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood and Ishtiaq Ahmed from the Bradford Racial Equality Council have urged people not to let last night's disturbances spoil the work going on in Manningham.
In a joint statement they said: "We would like to emphasise that there were only a few isolated incidents which were effectively controlled thanks to co-operation between the police, key councillors, youth workers and representatives of the local residents association.
"We regret some of the earlier accounts of what took place were grossly exaggerated and the vast majority of people in Manningham will be disappointed that all the hard work taking place in the area could suffer as a result. Thanks to the level of co-operation on the night, once the police became aware of one or two minor incidents in the area, they were able to call on community leaders at an early stage."