'Nothing but disgusting': Northants Police officers face urine, animal faeces and fireworks at Rotherham riots
Members of Northants Police were on the scene in Rotherham on Sunday as the riots took place in the South Yorkshire town.
There was violence and disorder in a number of UK towns and cities over the course of the weekend and 12 police officers were injured during a demonstration which turned into a riot at the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Rotherham.
A large bin was set alight, protesters smashed windows and doors and managed to get inside the building where asylum seekers are staying. Six people were arrested.
Over the weekend eight members of staff from Northamptonshire Police were sent firstly to Nottingham, then Derbyshire and then onto Rotherham.
While there they faced ‘urine, animal faeces, and fireworks’ being thrown at them.
PC Unsworth of Northamptonshire Police took to social media to share his experience. On his Twitter account he posted: “06:11am clocking off after starting at 13:00pm yesterday.
“I was sent down to #Rotherham with my Northants colleagues to help colleagues at S.Yorkshire Police.
“Urine, animal faeces, fireworks, objects directed onto/at us. Adults encouraging young children to join in. Nothing but disgusting and this behaviour will not be tolerated.
“It’s been a tough and tiring shift but we’ll dust ourselves down and be back in the community tomorrow… Reassuring, servicing and protecting our communities.
“My thoughts + prayers go to my fellow Police colleagues who have been injured during these disgusting attacks.”
A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: “Through mutual aid we provided one PSU (Police support Unit) which consisted of one sergeant, six police constables and a driver.
“On Saturday, this team supported our policing colleagues in Nottingham and on Sunday, they were deployed firstly to Derbyshire and then onto Rotherham in South Yorkshire.”