Eleven people have been arrested and four police officers injured following unrest which saw approximately 150 people gathered in Hartlepool yesterday evening.

Cleveland Police have confirmed seven men, one juvenile and one woman, aged between 14 and 54, have been arrested on suspicion of various offences following an incident which began at 6pm on Wednesday (July 31) and took place between the Cenotaph and Murray Street

Some of the suspected offences included violent disorder and the assault of an emergency worker.

They remain in police custody for questioning, while police will continue to maintain a presence in the area.

Police estimated 150 people met at the Cenotaph before making their way to Murray Street, and confirmed four officers sustained minor injuries during the disorder.

Prior to the protest, officers identified the suspected organiser and arrested a 51-year-old man from Hartlepool on suspicion of distributing written materials to stir up racial hatred.

He has since been released on conditional bail while enquires are ongoing.

A woman, aged 28, also from the Hartlepool area was arrested on Wednesday prior to the protest.

She was detained on suspicion of unlawfully obtaining or disclosing protected information and distributing written materials to stir up racial hatred relating to personal information placed on social media and has since been released on conditional bail while the investigation continues.

Assistant Chief Constable David Felton said: “The violent disorder that occurred last night has understandably shocked and saddened those living in Hartlepool and across Teesside.

“Our officers go above and beyond to protect the safety of our community day in and day out, they should never be subjected to the attacks they faced last night. I would also like to thank the support we received from our neighbouring forces in the North East.

“Since the disorder, officers have received messages of support from members of the public and we are grateful for this in what was a challenging night.

“We have already made numerous arrests and a full criminal investigation is taking place to identify and detain the individuals who brought this violence to our neighbourhoods.

“Please be reassured that those who were involved will be robustly dealt with and this should send a clear message to them that we will be relentless in our pursuit.”

The chaos saw stones thrown at police and cars, the front of a butcher shop significantly damaged, and a police vehicle deliberately set alight.

Appeals have been launched to find more information regarding this arson incident, as well as the assault of a young person captured on a mobile phone.

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Police said the footage, which has been posted online, showed he had been punched in the face in what appears to be an unprovoked attack – adding they believe the incident took place on Lowthian Road.

Detectives are urging him, or anyone who may know who he is, to come forward and contact police as well as providing information that will lead to the attacker.

If you have information, dash cam or mobile footage relating to the disorder please submit it to the dedicated Cleveland Police major incident policing portal by clicking on this link. Information can also be provided by contacting Cleveland Police on 101 quoting reference number 145045 or anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.