Communities 'shaken to core' by scale of disorder

Police lines kept rival demonstrators apart in Bolton on Sunday

Religious leaders in a town which has seen disorder have said the "scale and level of violence" across the country has "shaken communities to the core".

Smoke bombs and other missiles were thrown during unrest in Bolton town centre on Sunday, with lines of police separating two groups, one including mainly Asian men and the other waving England flags.

Rabnawaz Akbar from the Manchester Council of Mosques said he wanted to reassure people that those who "feel diversity is a strength far, far outnumber those who seek to divide".

Bishop of Salford, John Arnold, whose diocese includes Bolton, also said violence on the streets came from a "small, vocal minority".

Nineteen people were arrested in Greater Manchester across the weekend

An anti-immigration protest was being held outside Bolton Town Hall on Sunday when about 300 people with their faces covered, some of them shouting "Allahu Akbar", an Arabic phrase meaning God is greatest, ran towards them.

Fourteen arrests were made for offences including being drunk and disorderly, possession of weapons and assault, Greater Manchester Police said.

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Ted Casey, a member of the public who saw the disorder unfold, told BBC Radio Manchester he saw "a load of idiots looking for trouble, looking for a response".

This included racist chanting from groups of teenagers, he said, and missiles being thrown, and a man searched by police was "found to have a hammer".

Mr Casey said he was "really proud" of police, who handled the situation "so well".

'Fighting and anger'

The scale and level of the violence, as well as the geographical spread, has "shaken the Muslim community to the core", Mr Akbar told BBC Radio Manchester.

"Even the most resilient of communities, you would expect them to feel threatened," he said, adding many people had told him they were "fearful of what the future holds".

Bishop Arnold said he was grateful to police officers who sought to "control and pacify protests" at "considerable cost to themselves".

He said greater work on building "community cohesion" was needed.

That message was echoed by Mayor of Bolton Andy Morgan, who said the town now needed to "take back control" from those who sought to "cause division".

"It is absolutely crucial we take the younger members of our town and borough with us," he said in a post on X.

"Their engagement fosters inclusivity and helps build a cohesive, resilient society.

"Fighting and anger on our streets is not the answer."