Hundreds of officers protect vulnerable locations

West Yorkshire Police said officers would ensure "the public were kept safe"

More than 500 police officers were deployed in West Yorkshire on Saturday to protect "vulnerable locations" in response to recent disorder.

The force said those included officers trained in public order and other specialisms, who were deployed in protected vehicles.

The Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield was among the locations officers attended.

A spokesperson for the force said approximately 150 anti-racism protestors attended a demonstration at the hotel, which passed without incident after two hours.

They said: "The operation was put in place to protect several vulnerable locations, including the Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield.

"West Yorkshire Police will maintain an ability to respond to any incidents of disorder and ensure the public are kept safe and offenders brought to justice."

Thousands of anti-racism protesters rallied in towns and cities across the country on Saturday.

It follows a week of violent disorder, including attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers and the looting of shops, which was fuelled by a false rumour that the Southport triple murder suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker.

Police have so far arrested 779 people in connection with rioting, with 349 of those charged, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said on Saturday.

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