London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 26, 2026

Leicester disorder: Independent review to be held

Leicester disorder: Independent review to be held

An independent review is to take place into recent unrest in Leicester.

Officers have arrested 47 people since 28 August amid tensions involving mainly young men from sections of the Muslim and Hindu communities.

Major disorder broke out on Saturday evening following an earlier protest.

The review was agreed at a meeting of community leaders, councillors and local police on Wednesday evening, the city's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said.

"Last night's meeting was very constructive and everyone there was determined to ensure that the recent disorder does not spoil relations in our city," Mr Soulsby told the BBC.

"My intention is to have a review of what led up to the events at the weekend, and also to seek some independent thoughts on how we all - council, police and communities - can learn from this, and what we can do at a local level to ensure it doesn't happen again."

An independent body is yet to be appointed to oversee the review.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has discussed the disorder with police leaders


Meanwhile, Home Secretary Suella Braverman met police in Leicester on Thursday morning to discuss the unrest.

In a statement, a Leicestershire Police spokesperson said: "I can confirm the Home Secretary visited Leicester today and was briefed by Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon and other senior officers.

"We won't be providing any further detail in relation to the meeting."

Ms Braverman has been in regular contact with the chief constable, and the BBC understands from the Home Office that she visited to receive further updates on the disorder, and to thank police officers for their response.

Police have said they expect to arrest and charge more people over the coming weeks and months.

Mr Nixon has written an open letter to the communities of East Leicester, in which he said he wanted to clarify the police response to Saturday's protest.

Some members of the public had criticised police for appearing to support the protest, as videos were circulated online which showed officers walking alongside it.

"I am making clear that police did not support an unplanned protest in East Leicester," Mr Nixon said.

"My officers were dispatched in order to try to engage and seek co-operation. They were confronted by in excess of 300 people and there were eight officers at the time.

"They did the best they could in the circumstances by staying with them until more officers could arrive. That is what videos on social media show."

Police were outnumbered by hundreds of mainly young men on Saturday evening


Three people have been charged so far in relation to the disorder over the weekend. They are:

*  Amos Noronha, 20, of Illingworth Road in Leicester. He appeared in court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and was jailed for 10 months.

*  Adam Yusuf, 21, of Bruin Street in Leicester. He appeared in court on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

*  Lukman Patel, 31, of Homeway Road in Leicester. He appeared in court on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and racially aggravated harassment/alarm/distress. He is expected to stand trial on 11 November.

When Yusuf appeared in court, the probation service told the magistrate that he had been "influenced by social media" in relation to events taking place near where he lived and was "upset".

Mr Nixon has also blamed social media for spreading "fake news".

"I suspect that social media has played a significant part in raising fear, raising concern," he previously told the BBC.

"I've seen a significant amount of fake news that is being put out on social media, a lot of images that are being used to sensationalise the activity, to try and encourage people to get involved."

About 100 people gathered at the gates of the Durga Bhawan Temple in Smethwick


Police have said some of those involved in the Leicester disorder came from Birmingham and Luton.

There was also a protest at the gates of a Hindu temple in Smethwick in the West Midlands on Tuesday evening.

Fireworks and missiles were reportedly thrown in the direction of police, and an 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife.


'Extremist forces'


London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has described the events in Leicester and Smethwick as "ugly" and called for solidarity.

"British Hindus and British Muslims have far more in common than that which divides us - and we should be eternally on our guard against extremist forces who seek to stoke up tensions between our communities for their own selfish ends," he said.

Police have encouraged people to prepare for Navratri and Diwali as normal, and said a "visible and strengthened police presence will be there for all communities".


Footage shows hundreds of people filling streets


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Consumer Confidence Tumbles Amid Rising Energy Costs and Global Commodity Price Pressures
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Production from Jackdaw Gas Field to Bolster Domestic Energy Security
Storm Boelo Leaves Tens of Thousands of Households Without Power Across Scotland and Northern Ireland
UK Government Launches National Be Ready Campaign Urging Households to Prepare Three Days of Emergency Supplies
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Water Quality Regulations for British Rivers
Welsh Government Launches Major Renewable Energy Initiative to Expand Offshore Wind Capacity Along the Coast
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Agreement on Comprehensive Regional Infrastructure Modernization Plan
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Increase in British Retail Sales Driven by Autumn Discounts
Scottish First Minister Announces Emergency Housing Strategy to Tackle Severe Homelessness Across Urban Centers
Automotive Industry Leaders in the United Kingdom Urge Government Support for Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Transition
United Kingdom and European Union Initiate High-Level Negotiations on Post-Brexit Defense and Security Pact
National Health Service England Introduces Sweeping Digital Reforms to Reduce Hospital Waiting Lists Nationwide
Chancellor of the Exchequer Outlines Emergency Fiscal Measures to Address Local Government Funding Crises Across England
Bank of England Governor Warns of Persistent Inflation Pressures Impacting Interest Rate Decisions in the United Kingdom
UK Conservative Party Suspends Former Electoral Candidate Following Undercover Investigation
Actors and Writers Condemn British Anti Terror Legislation Targeting Activist Groups and Free Speech
Central Bank and Treasury Monitor Inflation Risks as International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast
Storm Boelo Batters British Isles With Eighty Mile Per Hour Winds Causing Widespread Power Outages
British Intelligence Services and Technology Firms Partner to Counter Artificial Intelligence Enabled Cybersecurity Threats
UK Consumer Confidence Falls at Fastest Rate Since Brexit Vote as Cost of Living Intensifies
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Landmark Autumn Budget Focused on Devolution and Fiscal Rules
Northern Ireland Executive Ministers Reach Consensus on Shared Economic Development Priorities to Stimulate Regional Growth in Belfast
Department for Business and Trade Finalizes Conditional Support Package for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities in Newport
Welsh Government Unveils Regional Industrial Development Strategy to Attract Green Energy Investment to South Wales Manufacturing Hubs
Foreign Secretary David Lammy Concludes Diplomatic Mission to European Capital Cities to Strengthen Post-Brexit Defense Cooperation
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Regulatory Compliance Standards for Water Utilities Across England
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Wage Growth Stabilization and Resilient Employment Figures Across the United Kingdom
Scottish Government and Trade Union Representatives Reach Tentative Pay Agreement for Public Sector Transport Workers in Edinburgh
National Health Service England Announces Emergency Capital Funding Allocation to Reduce Winter Emergency Department Bottlenecks
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Inflation Pressures
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Treasury Officials Finalize Urgent Fiscal Adjustments Ahead of Upcoming National Budget
Tour de France Organizers Confirm Historic Grand Depart Featuring Edinburgh and Yorkshire Stages
National Cyber Security Centre Issues Urgent Alerts Following Global Security Vulnerability in Core Programming Software
Independent Energy Analysts Warn Great Britain Faces Highest Winter Power Tariffs in Europe
Major British Defense Contractors Commit to Delivering Forty Thousand New Apprenticeships and Training Placements
New Bradford Railway Station Infrastructure Project Approved to Transform Regional Transit Connectivity Across Northern England
Welsh Infrastructure Stakeholders Press Government for Accelerated Local Sourcing in Military and Uniform Manufacturing
Scottish Council Governance Crisis Triggers High-Court Legal Challenge Over Leadership Ouster Bid
High Street Bakery Chain Greggs Announces Major Factory Closures and Seven Hundred Job Cuts
Automotive Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover Advances Advanced Defense Technology Partnership with European Allies
Treasury and Bank of England Officials Signal Persistent Concern Over Inflation-Driven Interest Rate Path
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast While Issuing Inflation Warnings
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Severe Capacity Pressures as Early Winter Respiratory Infections Surge
Government Issues Emergency Resilience Guidance Advising All British Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Private Sector Growth Beats Expectations in October Driven by Resilient Services and Manufacturing
Barclays to Cut Five Thousand Jobs in Major Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Cost-Cutting Overhaul
Piper Tomahawk Aircraft Crash Near Drymen in Stirling Claims Two Lives as Investigators Deploy
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Jackdaw Gas Field Production After Ministerial Authorization
Government Injects One Hundred and Forty Million Pounds to Expand Urgent Care Ahead of Winter Crisis
Department of Health Warns Further Pay Rises Will Derail National Health Service Waiting List Targets
×