By Joanne Earp, Nick Oldham and Olwen Vasey.
Around 80 Asian youths armed with petrol bombs and fireworks clashed with riot police early today as bonfire night violence flared in Bradford for the second year running.
The violence was condemned by the city's Asian community leaders and politicians who appealed for calm.
In two incidents police came under attack from youths hurling fireworks near Teller Lane police station in Manningham. A police search of the area after the skirmishes revealed hidden petrol bombs.
During the disturbances a car sales room and a bargain shop were gutted by fire and a telephone box was badly damaged by an exploding gas cylinder.
The violence started shortly after 8.30pm when firefighters from Fairweather Green and Shipley were called to a blaze at Alif's Lucky Mine and Max's Magic Motors in Garfield Avenue, Manningham.
Teams of riot police were called in and fire crews at the scene were told to withdraw. Oak Lane and Heaton Road were sealed off and a police helicopter circled the area.
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.
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."
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."
He said the trouble appeared to have died down but ten minutes later there was a fire in a disused garage at Garfield Avenue. The crowd later dispersed bait 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."
Then at about 11.30pm trouble flared again when a group of about 80 youths gathered near Toller Lane police station and refused to disperse.
Police in protective clothing were called in when the mob started throwing rockets and fireworks at the officers and at the building.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Officers were deployed to disperse the youths and after a search a number of petrol bombs were recovered. No officers were injured and there were no arrests."
In Keighley firefighters came under a hail of missiles when they were called out last night to deal with two danger-