'Copy-cats' blamed for fresh rioting

POLICE patrolled a Lancashire council estate in force yesterday after disturbances that police believe were probably inspired by the weekend riots in Bristol. There were also clashes on an estate in Cumbria, where the local community centre caught fire.

Seventeen people were arrested during four hours of rioting on the Stoops estate in Burnley.

A barricade of wooden pallets was erected across a street and set on fire at the height of the violence, which erupted when about 50 youths began throwing stones.

About 100 riot police who were called in to disperse the crowd were pelted with bottles and other missiles during the disturbances, which lasted for about four hours.

No injuries were reported. Several police vehicles were damaged during the trouble, which followed smaller-scale clashes on Sunday night when youths taunted police. Lancashire police said that it appeared that a 'copy-cat' element was to blame. 'There have been no problems on this estate for a long time, and we are hoping that there will be no recurrence tonight,' it said.

The 17 people arrested, who included two juveniles and four women, were mainly charged with public order offences and may appear in court in Burnley today.

In Carlisle, 11 people were arrested for public order offences on the Raffles housing estate, where a stolen car was abandoned and set alight in front of the community centre on Monday night.

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