Cabinet minister promises ‘reckoning’ after disorder outside hotel in Rotherham

A Cabinet minister has vowed there will be a “reckoning” following violent disorder outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham – with police having announced five arrests so far.

On Sunday, anti-immigration rioters smashed the windows of the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers before starting fires, with masked men hurling lengths of wood, chairs and bottles and some spraying fire extinguishers at police officers amid the 700-strong crowd.

Defence Secretary John Healey, who is the local MP, visited the scene on Monday, praising the “massive turnout of local people” to help with the clean-up operation.

Mr Healey said: “The local community is weighing in now, we’ve seen hundreds of people down here to help clear up.

“We’ll talk to the residents about the damage they have suffered and the trauma they have suffered.”

He added that he has “nothing but praise” for the police officers involved and that his thoughts were with those who were injured.

“This was on a scale that we’ve not seen before locally,” Mr Healey said.

“There was no excuse for this. There will be action taken. There will be a reckoning.”

South Yorkshire Police made five arrests in Rotherham and arrested and charged one other over disorder in Sheffield.

Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield said the force expects the arrest number to “increase significantly” in the coming days.

She branded the disorder “a disgusting display of thuggery”.

Ms Butterfield said an initial group of 250 people had arrived on Sunday morning, with an additional 500 joining them shortly afterwards.

She said the police believe they “held far-right and anti-immigration views”.

“At the same time, a large crowd began to gather in Sheffield city centre, diverting a large number of force resources,” Ms Butterfield added.

Speaking of the violence outside a hotel in Rotherham, she said: “There was a particularly sickening moment when a wheelie bin was pushed against the hotel and set on fire with the clear intent to cause serious harm to the residents and staff.

“It was known there were people residing and working in the hotel but the mindless individuals responsible had absolutely no regard for their safety.

“It was ultimately a disgusting display of thuggery, continuing well into the evening, with our policing operation only finishing around 5am.”

Ms Butterfield said at least 12 police officers were injured, with police dogs also suffering minor injuries after missiles were thrown at them.

“Horses had bricks, eggs, bottles and beer cans thrown at their heads,” she added.

“They were spat at and threats made to cut the saddles in an attempt to injure the riders.”

Also at the scene on Monday, South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard labelled rioters a “violent far-right mob” and said he was “horrified” by what happened.

Mr Coppard said: “Like every decent person from this community, from my community, from South Yorkshire, from across the country, I’m horrified. I’m appalled by the violence that we saw yesterday.

“We saw a violent far-right mob come down to attack 240 of the most vulnerable people in our society and try and burn them in the hotel in which they were living.

“That is not OK and there is no excuse for it.”

He went on: “The far right have always said to those people with little that they need to attack people with even less.

“And that’s what we saw here yesterday: we saw 240 vulnerable people, who came here because in their own homes they have been persecuted.

“They came to our country because we are a tolerant and diverse place and they faced those similar attacks that they might have faced at home here in South Yorkshire.”

The mayor also praised the clean-up efforts at the hotel, saying he is “really proud” of those who have “done what good people do, which is help”.

In a message to those involved in the disorder, Mr Coppard, who is also the police and crime commissioner for the area, vowed that “police will be coming after you”.

“And I hope that those people, who may still be intent on violence, see that what’s going to happen right now is that you’re going to get locked up,” he said.

On Monday, police officers stood guard outside the main entrance and at other locations around the building as teams swept up glass from the numerous broken windows at the front of the hotel.

The fire door where rioters appeared to have got into the four-storey building was boarded up but with the melted remains of a bin still in place in front.

Further damage was visible around the rear of the property where fences were ripped down, doors kicked in and more windows smashed.