Five arrested but Dewsbury protests were peaceful - police chief

Although five people have been arrested for 'minor incidents', they say the two protests passed peacefully.

Around 450 supporters of the right-wing English Defence League (EDL) took part in a national demonstration in front of Dewsbury town hall at 1pm.

A second demonstration organised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and the Trade Union Council (TUC) took place in Foundry Street at 1.30pm.

After the protests, Chf Supt David Lunn thanked partner agencies, demonstration organisers and local people.

"We are pleased to say that today's events have passed without incident and that disruption to Dewsbury was kept to a minimum, with the town returning to normal as soon as possible," he said.

"I would like to thank the community, our partners in the council and other agencies and the event organisers themselves, with whom we have worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all concerned throughout the day."

He said there had been five arrests so far for minor incidents.

"I am very proud of the community response to today's events," he said. "This helped enable the protests to pass peacefully, safely and without serious incident.

"The feedback we have received from the public and local businesses has been very favourable, which is pleasing as they have always been at the forefront of our considerations as we planned the response to today's events."