Leeds: Police search powers extended after Seacroft armed fight

Police were given additional powers after fighting in the Kentmere Avenue area

Extra stop and search powers put in place in part of Leeds after a man was attacked with a weapon and seriously hurt in a fight have been extended.

Police said three males were arrested for affray after fighting in Kentmere Avenue in Seacroft on Saturday.

The man was attacked with a "bladed weapon" and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

An order granted on Saturday giving police extra powers would stay in place until 14:00 BST on Monday, police said.

The Section 60 order was put in place in Seacroft, Leeds, until Sunday afternoon

Det Ch Insp Sarah Lambert, from West Yorkshire Police, said the Section 60 order, which covered parts of Seacroft, had been put in place due to concerns about the potential for further "retaliatory" attacks.

It meant officers could stop and search people or vehicles without needing the "usual grounds" to suspect the person searched.

She said a "full investigation" was under way into what had happened and there were increased patrols in the area.

Witnesses, or anyone with information about the disorder, were asked to contact police.

Last week, extra stop and search powers were introduced for a period of time in Harehills, Leeds, after a fight involving masked men armed with machetes.

Police said it appeared that fight may have been linked to rival drug gangs.

What is a Section 60 order?

• A small proportion of stop and searches can currently be carried out without requiring "reasonable grounds". These are called Section 60 orders.

• A Section 60 can happen in a set area - usually a neighbourhood, or sometimes a whole borough - for a defined period of time.

• Often this follows a violent incident, or if police expect a crime to take place.