Man aged 50 arrested over trouble at EDL protest

Police investigating offences committed during an English Defence League demonstrations in Halifax have arrested a 50-year-old man. The suspect, from Bolton, has since been bailed, pending further inquiries.

The arrest was made after officers trawled through hours of CCTV footage from earlier this year when the EDL protested in the town.

Police have estimated that there were 450 EDL supporters, with 70 counter-demonstrators also taking place in the area. As a result of their work, nine men were identified as wanted over public order offences, with officers believing they could be living in West and South Yorkshire, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Dave Pervin, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Like any large-scale operation it is not always possible to tackle every single incident at the time and this is where our follow-up enquiries begin.”

So far six offenders have been dealt with, either through court appearances or with fixed penalties.

Yorkshire Post