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FIVE men were arrested by police following outbreaks of disorder across Huddersfield.

They were aged between 17 and 23 years and were being questioned by police yesterday.

The arrests came as police reported a number of incidents of disorder across the town.

These included:

l Looting and damage at Asda in Bradford Road

l Extensive damage at Deighton and Sheepridge Conservative WMC Club in Brackenhall Road, Sheepridge where a man suffered a leg injury

l Damage at the Chestnut Centre, in Chestnut Street, Deighton, where an ATM cash machine was stolen

l Attempted arson at United Carpets in Union Street where a glass door was smashed and a small fire was started

l Paving slabs were also thrown through the front windows of John Brierley Ltd at Turnbridge Mills. The company refused to comment

l Wheeled bins set on fire in Harp Inge, Dalton, by gangs of youths

l Windows smashed at Aldi and Matalan on the Ringway Industrial Estate, in Beck Road, and at Lidl, in Chapel Hill

l Firefighters hit by stones and bottles as they answered 999 calls in Sheepridge

The problems started shortly before 9pm on Tuesday and continued into the early hours.

Throughout yesterday, stores and businesses across the town stepped up security in a bid to prevent any further incidents over the next few days.

Asda, where looters struck on Tuesday, shut its Bradford Road store at 9pm last night – it usually trades for 24 hours – and was due to re-open at 7am today.

At 8pm last night 15 police vans were parked at the rear of the Bradford Road store’s car park.

But it is thought the site was used as a staging point and police were not expecting any specific attacks on the Brackenhall store.

Police said that four youths had run into the store on Tuesday evening trying to steal property from displays but were backed up by a mob of dozens more, possibly 40 or 50 strong, outside the main entrance.

Police in riot gear were called and mounted a guard outside the shop late into the night.

Broken glass littered the car park of the store.

Emma Wake, who lives at Leafield Close in Sheepridge, works as a retail assistant at Asda.

She had started work at 10pm just half an hour before the trouble started.

She said: “It was terrifying. The store closed all the doors and windows as we are a 24 hour store. All the store colleagues ended up in the back yard with our cars moved out of the way.

“I saw a gang of around 40 youths in hooded tops, they were taking flat screen televisions off the shelves. Anything electrical of value was being taken.”

One shopkeeper in the Sheepridge area said she had received a text saying there was a gang of youths wearing balaclavas who were on their way into the area.

Vandals who smashed windows and tried to set fire to a carpet store were condemned.

United Carpets, Union Street, was targeted at around 1am in a series of disturbances across the town.

But the gang of five teenagers were chased off by a security guard who was working at the adjacent Richmond, Ibbotson and Lonsborough flats, on Southgate.

A witness said: “I don’t know if he was brave – he was bloody daft.

“But he stopped that place going up in smoke. He deserves a mention.”

Store manager Dean Critchley said while minor damage had been caused it was ‘business as usual’ at the shop yesterday.

Mr Critchley said: “Nothing was stolen. They smashed six or seven windows.

“They tried to set fire to a carpet sample and they were disturbed by a security guard in the flats.

“It’s going to cost £1,000 to replace the windows but it’s business as usual today.”

The guard who chased the five youths said: “I heard a window smash and ran across.

“Two were inside trying to start a fire and three more were outside.

“They ran off as soon as they saw me but I chased them down to Leeds Road”.

In the town centre Jonathan Hardy, manager of the Kingsgate Centre, said: “We are taking the advice of Huddersfield police and acting on any intelligence they give us.

“We contacted the police as a precaution because of the way the threat was escalating outside London.

“We have additional security measures with more staff on duty day and overnight and that will continue until we are directed by the police that the perceived threat has diminished.

“The safety of our customers and staff is paramount and we will maintain our vigilance to ensure their safety.”

Seven police officers from Huddersfield assisted their colleagues in Greater Manchester after the violence that started in London escalated into other major cities.

In Huddersfield town centre last night, reports of attacks on retailers proved to be false with the area almost deserted at 8.30pm. Leeds Road Retail park was also unaffected.

AN eyewitness told how masked yobs ambushed firefighters after starting street fires.

A gang of about five youths dressed in black set fire to rubbish on Sheepridge Road, Sheepridge, at around 9.30pm on Tuesday.

A fire engine attended the blaze but crews were forced to retreat after their vehicle was pelted with bottles and stones.

Bystanders fled and residents ran indoors as crowds of masked youths began to swell around the scene.

An eyewitness said: “I saw youths in hoodies, and smoke and fire coming out of the bins. I was frightened.

“There was no sign of the police. The police said they were aware but there was no one in the area.

“I was angry but I was concerned for my own safety.

“This was just local people cashing in on what’s been going on in London.”

The incident was one of several disturbances in the Ashbrow area on Tuesday night.

Earlier hooligans torched bins and a mattress in Belle Vue Crescent.

Yobs burned rubbish and smashed glass in Bradley Boulevard.

When firefighters arrived they were also hit with stones and bottles thrown by youths and were forced to retreat