Six arrested over Leicester kebab shop explosion

Two men and four women have been arrested after a kebab shop in Leicester was destroyed in a blast.

Emergency services were called to reports of an explosion at a shop in Narborough Road about 02:20 BST and found the building demolished. The cause of the explosion was being investigated but was being treated as suspicious, police said. Fire crews said it was "incredibly lucky" passers-by had not been caught by flying debris.

A police spokesman confirmed a criminal investigation was under way. The fire service said a search and rescue dog was used to check for casualties but it is not believed anyone was in the shop.

Station manager Dave Watson said: "It is incredibly lucky that we have not had more injuries and more damage caused. The force of the explosion has blown objects for some distance and we have been very lucky that passers-by did not get caught by debris."

Several adjoining properties were evacuated as a safety precaution. Parts of Narborough Road were closed while investigations were carried out. Nearby resident Julie Bourton described the moment the explosion happened.

"I was in bed," she said. "There was a massive bang and I ran downstairs to see my dad was up and I asked him whether there had been an earthquake. He said 'No' and looked out of the window and there was just smoke. We went out to have a look and the shop was just gone."

Leicestershire Constabulary have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact them.

BBC

Thanks to Flash for the heads-up

Man broke window in EDL demo

A man who smashed a window during the English Defence League protest in Leicester has admitted causing criminal damage worth £1,500.

Gareth Mooney (29) of Sandown Court, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, broke the shop window of Big John's Takeaway, in Humberstone Road on October 9 last year.

Liz Dodds, prosecuting, told Leicester magistrates that Mooney was one of about 200 protesters who broke through a police cordon in Queens Street at about 4pm to challenge a group of Asian youths. The trouble then spilled into Humberstone Road, where up to 20 members of the public had sought refuge in the takeaway.

She said: "Mr Mooney was caught on CCTV giving a forceful kick to the window, causing it to shatter in a spider effect. His behaviour instigated the subsequent attack on the building which caused a total of £5,000 damage."

Mooney said: "I'm very sorry for the trouble I've caused. It was down to stupidity."

He was bailed to appear at North Tyneside Magistrates Court on April 12.

This is Leicestershire

Man sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment for his part in disturbance during protest

A man has been sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment for his part in the disturbance which occurred during the English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism protests in the city centre.

Ryan Herbert (06/04/87) of Bland Road, New Parks, pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates Court last month to criminal damage to property and to a Section 4 public order offence. He was sentenced last week.

The incident happened on October 9, 2010, in Humberstone Gate East when damage was caused to windows at Fabrika Bar at the Arts Centre.

Leicestershire Constabulary

Three sentenced for their parts in EDL protest disorder in Leicester

Three men were sentenced yesterday for their part in the public disorder which accompanied the English Defence League protest in Leicester

Two of the men, who denied having any official political affiliation with the EDL, were among a group hurling missiles at the Independent Arts Centre Fabrika, in Humberstone Gate.

Christopher Chapman (22), of Armdale Drive, Netherhall, Leicester, was handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence, by city magistrates. Unemployed Chapman pleaded guilty to causing £1,000 worth of damage to doors and windows at the venue and using threatening words and behaviour which caused people to fear for their safety. At a previous hearing, Chapman's solicitor said he was "politically naive" and was still "suffering the effects" of the previous night's drinking.

Andrew Millard (27), of Bradmore Grove, Birmingham, was ordered to do 100 hours unpaid community work. Millard, who has a five-year banning order from football grounds for hooliganism, admitted a charge of attempting to damage the arts centre with a large wooden pole. Ian Johnson, prosecuting Millard, said the group attacked the building after spotting members of the media covering last October's protest from first floor windows. CCTV cameras filmed Millard picking up a large wooden pole, throwing it at the building but missing.

Chris Stewart, in mitigation, said: "It was a pathetic and half-hearted attempt."

Ryan Stapleford, of Ashby Road, Ibstock, was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work in the community after admitting to launching a "flying kick" on a Muslim man on the afternoon of the EDL demonstration. The 18-year-old, who was filmed on CCTV attacking the man outside Benny's Chicken, in Granby Street, claimed he had been defending a friend who had persuaded him to accompany him to the protest.

Leicester Mercury

Strength of multiculturalism

My wife and I came to Leicester in 1966 from India, land of different faiths such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Islam, Zorasterism and Sikhism, co-existing with each other for centuries.

We started our lives in Highfields where lived too Christians, Afro-Carribeans, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Bangladeshis. When we started looking for a house for ourselves across East Park Road, we were told by the white house owners that they cannot sell their house because our food smells of garlic; we have different culture and our white neighbours do not like Asians and coloured people. These sort of remarks gave us the shock of our lives.

When I used to tell them that I was a teacher in a Grammar School, they would say: "Really".

St Peter's Church Vicar, Rev Carlile, involved me in Leicester Voluntary Community Relations Council. At those times, there was no Hindu Mandir, no Gurdwara and no Mosque.

The first Islamic centre started at St Peter's Road, the first gurdwara opened at New Walk and Hindu mandir started at Weymouth Street. White population Christians started visiting these Asian religious places of worship and people like us from different faiths began to be invited by different organisations to give a talk to them about our religions, cultures, customs, traditions etc.

A new awakening about understanding each other sprang up in the city and the county.

Then came 1972. In spite of Leicester City Council's efforts to discourage the Ugandan Asians from coming to Leicester, they came in thousands and started their businesses in the Belgrave-Melton Road areas. The Gujarati community brought better understanding, multiculturalism, wealth and respect to all the Asians, the blacks and the whites and brought them nearer to each other.

Indian, Italian, Irish, Polish, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Punjabi restaurants opened their door for the white population and they were not put off anymore from the garlic smell.

BBC Radio started Asian programme "Milan" with me which later on became 6.0 Five Show in English and is now Asian Network. People from all faiths started respecting each other's faiths and cultures. More and more gurdwaras, mandirs and mosques have come in our city. They are all co-existing next to each other along with the churches and synagogues.

People of different faiths and cultures are neighbours of each other. Our state schools are teaching all the major religions, having Christian worship and school assemblies very amicably. All the children and their parents have accepted the multi-faith teaching gladly. Hence multiculturalism is a great success in Leicester.

In 1979, my wife and myself were invited to Her Majesty's Garden Party and there we were introduced to the late Queen Mother.

Her sweet and memorable words are still ringing in my ears.

She said: "Great Britain is like a garden with beautiful flowers of different colours. For thousands of years, people of different cultures, faiths and backgrounds have been coming to this land and have contributed to the enrichment of British culture which is a mix of so many cultures. I welcome you both to this country and your contribute to the enrichment of our culture with your Asian values."

This is multiculturalism, where people do follow their own faiths and live their own lives like good neighbours. All of us also have common values, the common laws of the land, common language, common citizenship and one country and loyalty to one head of the State — Her Majesty the Queen.

We all are united against extremism, killing of innocent people in our cities.

We proved beyond any doubt on October 8, 2010 when gathering around the Clock Tower in solidarity against the EDL march and again on October 10 when the people of all faiths, colours and backgrounds showed their unity. It was the strength of multiculturalism on show.

Letter from Kartar Singh Sandhu to the Leicester Mercury

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

Anti-Allah outburst earns EDL supporter £200 fine after protest in Leicester

A man has been fined for making offensive comments about Allah during the English Defence League protest in Leicester. Lee Whitby was found guilty of using racially aggravated abusive words during the protest in the city centre on Saturday, October 9.

During a trial at Leicester Magistrates' Court yesterday, the 27-year-old pleaded not guilty to chanting "threatening, abusive or insulting" words that were likely to cause "harassment, alarm or distress."

Although he admitted making comments, Whitby said he did not believe they would have been heard by anyone other than police officers or fellow EDL supporters. However, magistrate Rick Moore ruled that officers were likely to have been alarmed by the defendant's words.

Whitby, of Holley Place, Stoke-on-Trent, said he was an EDL supporter and had travelled by train to Leicester on the day of the protest with about 30 people from Stoke and Crewe. He also admitted being part of previous EDL protests in Newcastle, Dudley, Stoke, Bolton and Bradford.

The defendant told the court he was leaving the protest site in Humberstone Gate East and was being ushered towards the train station when he uttered the offensive chant.

Whitby, who chose to represent himself, said: "I went to an EDL demo and was in an area which was isolated away from everyone else. The only people that would have heard were the EDL. I was not aiming it at anyone. No-one around would find it offensive. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said it. I was just voicing my opinion at an EDL meeting with just EDL people around."

Alexandra Blossom, prosecuting, said the comments made were bound to cause harassment, alarm or distress because of Leicester's multicultural society and the fact the words were said in the city centre.

She said: "A number of people present that day were likely to be offended. It was a high-profile event and members of the public would have been in the city on a Saturday. The remarks are even offensive to police. A clear message needs to be sent out about using such behaviour in a multicultural city."

The court heard Whitby had two previous convictions for common assault.

Mr Moore said: "It is a fact you were with others chanting and police were within hearing distance but there is no evidence of non-police officers within hearing distance. It is likely that a police officer or officers hearing the words would be likely to be alarmed and for that reason we find you guilty of this offence."

Whitby was fined £200 and ordered to pay a further £200 in costs, as well as a £15 victim surcharge.

Leicester Mercury

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up.

We must stand together on this

Last weekend 2,000 supporters of the English Defence League (EDL) invaded Leicester. They claimed to stand up for Englishness against Islamic extremism, but in truth they came for trouble. Almost as soon as they arrived they began fighting with police, putting four in hospital, and in the process throwing army issue smoke grenades, fire crackers and ball bearings at police horses and dogs

During one charge, which resulted in a police officer being repeatedly stamped on, others in the crowd chanted "let him die". As the event finished hundreds of EDL supporters rampaged through local streets indiscriminately attacking local Asians. These were not acts of patriotism but the destructive efforts of racist thugs and football hooligans.

On October 24 the EDL plan to hold a solidarity demonstration outside the Israeli embassy to which they have invited a little-known American rabbi, in a cynical ploy aimed at cultivating hatred between Jews and Muslims.

While many in the Jewish community have understandable concerns about the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, it is important to remember that the EDL are not our friends. Searchlight has been running local campaigns against the EDL, in the same way that we work to defeat the politics of hate espoused by the BNP. We seek to mobilise communities to stand together around common values which unite us. In Leicester this meant over 6,000 local residents standing together against the hatred of the EDL. One Leicester, United Together. Next week it is the turn of the Jewish community to stand united against this hatred.

Extremism is extremism, whatever form it comes in, and the EDL is a genuine threat to social cohesion and peaceful communities. And extremism only breeds extremism. The EDL set out to whip up trouble and tensions, hoping to provoke a violent reaction from young Muslims. In the short term this divides communities, in the longer term it only pushes people to more extreme groups.

But with the threat comes an opportunity and we must use the concern over the EDL to bring people together. One of the most moving movements of our peace vigil in Leicester last weekend was when the leader of the Muslim community read out a message of support from the local Jewish community. "A rock thrown at a mosque is a rock thrown at a synagogue," the message read. This produced a massive cheer and highlights what is possible when we stand together against hatred.

Nick Lowles is editor of Searchlight magazine

Jewish Chronicle

The EDL in Leicester

Meet Tommy Robinson leader of the English Defence League. Here he is being questioned by police after he and his friends jumped off a coach to during a confrontation with locals. He claims to lead a peaceful organisation but as you can see here the EDL is nothing of the sort.

The EDL in Leicester from HOPE not hate on Vimeo.

Home Secretary bans EDL march in Leicester

Home Secretary Theresa May has authorised a ban on a proposed march by the English Defence League (EDL) in Leicester.

The right-wing group said it expected 3,000 members to attend a rally in the city on 9 October.

Concerns about the march and a counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) were raised by Leicestershire Police's chief constable.

The blanket ban prevents any group marching in the city on that date.

However, it does not prohibit static protests by the EDL and UAF, such as those that took place in Bradford in August after a similar ban on proposed marches.

'Properties protected'
A spokesman for the Home Office said: "Having carefully balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, the Home Secretary gave her consent to a Leicester City Council Order banning any marches in the city on October 9.

"Leicestershire Constabulary are committed to using their powers to ensure communities and properties are protected and we encourage all local people to work with the police to ensure community cohesion is not undermined by public disorder."

Leicester City Council applied for the ban at the request of the police after formal notification was received that both the EDL and UAF intended to march.

Sheila Lock, the council's chief executive, said: "Even though the Home Secretary has given her consent it does not prevent any static protests taking place, which are still lawful provided they remain peaceful, as we, nor the police, have legal powers to prevent them.

"There are lots of activities being planned during the coming week to celebrate Leicester and I'd encourage people to join in."

BBC News