A councillor whose nephew was struck by a car in a disturbance in Ravensthorpe says he could have been killed.
Clr Mumtaz Hussain was speaking amid fears of “vigilante” actions on the streets of Kirklees.
Clr Hussain’s 22-year-old nephew was one of five people ploughed into by a fleeing car in Charles Street , Ravensthorpe, on Thursday night.
The local community is on high alert after a series of armed robberies, targeting Asian families for gold.
Crime in North Kirklees
Kirklees police have warned the community against turning “vigilante” and have appealed for the public to leave policing to the professionals.
On Thursday the driver of a Vauxhall Insignia was confronted and sped off, striking people on the pavement, leaving Clr Hussain’s nephew bleeding on the ground.
He needed hospital treatment for cuts and cuts and bruises to his face and legs. The others suffered minor injuries.
Clr Hussain, Labour councillor for Dewsbury West, said: “It all happened so fast. The car was going straight down the road then suddenly veered onto the pavement.
“My nephew and the others literally had to jump in the air. If he hadn’t he would have been crushed and could have been killed.”
The driver struck a parked Audi before abandoning the car and running off, chased by two others who Clr Hussain said wanted to make a “citizen’s arrest”.
The driver fled to the Ravensthorpe Shopping Park and locked himself in the toilets at the Subway store.
An angry crowd of 150 people gathered outside as shocked staff called police . The driver was then arrested.
Clr Hussain appealed for calm and said anything suspicious should be reported to police.
“It is not right that people are confronted in the street when they may be innocent,” he said. “Things can soon turn nasty. We should leave it to the police.”
It is believed there was a “vigilante” attack in Westtown, Dewsbury, in the early hours of Sunday when six local men were arrested after a man was left with facial injuries.
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Insp Jenny Thompson, of Dewsbury and Mirfield Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This is a clear message from the police that we will not tolerate such criminal behaviour. Any such behaviour or incidents will result in further arrests.
“We are committed to safeguarding all our communities and extra officers are patrolling the area with the assistance of our local councillors and other community members in order to bring calm and reassurance.”
