Hotel rioters jailed for total of 150 years

Luke Sissons, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder, is among the dozens of people given prison sentences

People jailed for their roles during rioting in South Yorkshire have been sentenced to a combined total of about 150 years in prison, data reveals.

Large-scale disorder saw more than 60 police officers left injured when the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, was attacked on 4 August.

Since then, 89 people have so far been charged with offences relating to the violence, according to South Yorkshire Police.

Of this total, 74 have pleaded guilty to offences, with 70 sentenced to prison terms or youth referral orders, BBC data shows.

Missiles were thrown towards police officers and at the hotel, which was housing more than 200 asylum seekers at the time.

A fire was also started in a bin, which had been pushed up against a door of the hotel.

During the violence, 22 staff in the hotel barricaded themselves into the hotel's panic room despite automated fire alarms telling them to leave.

"People inside thought they were going to die," one judge said.

Police dogs and horses were injured during the violence, which lasted for several hours

Out of the 70 people sentenced, 10 children had been handed youth referral orders, BBC data shows.

Many of those sentenced admitted a charge of violent disorder, with one person, Thomas Birley, admitting a further charge of arson with intent to endanger life.

He was jailed for nine years, with a further five years on licence - the longest sentence handed out so far.

The youngest person to be sentenced was aged 13, while the oldest, Glyn Guest, was 60 years old.

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