Northumbria Police has arrested 17 people, aged 12 to 66, over the Bonfire Night disorder on Waterville Road. Fifteen are on bail; two face no further action.

Seventeen people have now been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder after trouble on Bonfire Night in the Meadow Well area of North Shields. Officers were injured, and police cars and fire engines were damaged.

Updated 10 November: Northumbria Police said on Monday that 11 more people had been arrested over the weekend, bringing the total to 17. See the latest from the force.

Updated 11 November: Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has published its Bonfire Night figures for the whole county, including attacks on crews. See what the fire service recorded.

Northumbria Police set out what happened in a statement on Friday. The force said its officers were condemning the disorder.

What the force said happened

Just before 8pm on Thursday 5 November, emergency services were called to a gathering of people outside a premises in Waterville Road.

The force said it was reported that:

  • people were attacking the building with fireworks
  • the premises was deliberately rammed with a car
  • emergency services were attacked when they arrived

A number of officers were injured. Five police cars and three fire engines were damaged.

The latest: 17 arrests

On Monday 9 November, Northumbria Police said it had made 17 arrests, all on suspicion of violent disorder. The force said:

  • those arrested are aged between 12 and 66
  • 15 are on police bail
  • two have been released and will face no further action
  • further arrests are expected in the coming days

The force said it believes the disorder was linked to misinformation about what the building on Waterville Road would be used for. It has asked anyone with information to quote reference NP-20261105-0757.

Chief Superintendent Daniel Whyte, the area commander for North Tyneside, said: “We have made further arrests over the weekend as our full investigation into Thursday’s appalling incident continues.”

He added: “We will absolutely not tolerate the behaviour seen in the Meadow Well, now, or ever and will do our utmost to trace those responsible and have them brought to justice.”

He said there had been an increased police presence in the area since the disorder, and that it would continue.

The force’s own news page could not be read by our systems on Monday or today. Its statement is quoted here as carried word for word by ITV Tyne Tees and the BBC. No one has been charged. An arrest is not a finding of guilt.

The first six arrests

On Friday 6 November the force said six people had been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder:

  • two men, aged 25 and 27
  • a woman, aged 27
  • three teenage boys

All six were in police custody when that statement was published.

What the fire service recorded

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service published its Bonfire Night figures on Friday 6 November. They cover all five Tyne and Wear boroughs, not Meadow Well alone.

  • three fire engines were deliberately targeted while crews travelled to or from incidents, with windscreens and windows smashed
  • three confirmed attacks on firefighters, the same as last year, with a fourth under review
  • 104 incidents on 5 November, 22 fewer than last year
  • 597 emergency calls about bonfires and fireworks

The service does not say which of the attacks happened in North Tyneside. Its chief fire officer, Stewart Nicholson, said attacks on firefighters and emergency staff were “completely unacceptable”.

The service takes anonymous reports of deliberate fires through Firestoppers on 0800 169 5558.

What it means for you

  • If you saw what happened or have footage, Northumbria Police takes information through its website or on 101, quoting NP-20261105-0757. Call 999 in an emergency.
  • The force has not said which building was targeted, and we are not naming it.

We will update this story if anyone is charged or the force publishes more.