Tamworth: Work begins to ID Holiday Inn petrol bomb rioters (2024)

Published

5 August 2024

Police have vowed to track down those responsible for violent disorder outside a hotel in Tamworth, Staffordshire, during which petrol bombs and fireworks were thrown at officers.

The rioting broke out on Sunday night after a crowd gathered at a Holiday Inn Express, leaving one officer with a suspected broken arm.

Staffordshire Police described the attacks as "senseless violence", adding that "despicable thuggery" was "completely inexcusable".

Overnight, police patrols have been gathering evidence, with drones and the National Police Air Service (NPAS) covering the area.

The scenes have followed other clashes in UK towns and cities in the wake of the fatal stabbing of three children in Southport a week ago.

Riots have been fuelled in part by false claims the suspect was Muslim and a refugee.

Tamworth's Holiday Inn Express had been used "for years" to accommodate asylum seekers, the local MP said in July.

IHG, the owner of the Holiday Inn brand, said its priority was "the safety and security of our guests and colleagues", adding further comment was the remit of the Home Office.

Earlier on Sunday in Rotherham, rioters smashed the windows of a Holiday Inn Express before starting fires.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Ellison from Staffordshire Police said officers in Tamworth had shown "tremendous courage" and the community did not "deserve to be subject" to violent behaviour.

He said footage from CCTV, air support and body-worn video devices would be used to identify offenders.

“There have already been more than 100 arrests nationally in connection with these acts and I expect those who are identified will meet the full force of the law," he added.

The crowd in Tamworth was described as hostile by the force, which added offenders had a clear intention to attack both the hotel and officers, whom it said were assaulted by projectiles.

Windows at the hotel were smashed and a series of fires were started using three petrol bombs.

The disorder lasted for more than three hours, ending at about 00:30 BST on Monday when the crowd was dispersed.

While no-one inside the hotel was reported injured, police said, the lives of occupants had been put at risk.

Officers would continue to provide reassurance to the local community, police added.

Stuart Russell, who said he was part of a group that went to the scene on Sunday to show support for people staying at the hotel, described the violence as shameful.

He told BBC Radio WM that the situation felt "tense" as soon as he arrived and then the mood worsened.

"It was like clicking your fingers," he explained.

"[The rioters] started to rush the police [who] were fantastic and luckily there was enough of them here."

Mr Russell added that the group of which he was part, which included between 10 and 20 people, left the area after they realised "we weren't doing any good".

The rioters "weren't interested in being appeased or performing a peaceful demonstration", he said.

"They wanted to get in that hotel and if that meant getting through us, they wanted to do us harm."

While he said people had a right to protest, the scenes he witnessed were only about causing "damage and destruction".

He told the BBC: "I don't think that should be tolerated."

Tamworth Borough Council leader Carol Dean and chief executive Stephen Gabriel condemned Sunday's scenes, saying: "We cannot and will not support actions that resort to violence, intimidation and disorder.

"These events are not a reflection of our town and its community."

The authority said it had started cleaning up the area around the hotel, with residents teaming up with workers to make Tamworth "sparkle" again.

Louise, who is part of the team helping to clear the hotel area, said it was "really upsetting to think that this has actually happened on the doorstep of where I live".

“It’s absolutely horrific and barbaric what happened last night and what the police officers were subjected to."

She added that it was "very touching to see people come out and help clear up after last night".

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