Leeds rock festival ends in 'sustained, mindless violence'

The violence that erupted at the end of the Leeds music festival was "sustained, determined and mindless", police said yesterday.

Several hundred people rampaged through the site of the event, staged in conjunction with the long-running Reading festival. They burnt two toilet blocks, attacked police with missiles, set skips alight and pulled down electric cables before 200 officers, many in riot gear, managed to stop them.

West Yorkshire Police said a male officer was treated for a broken nose and two vehicles were damaged in the violence, which began at around 12.30am yesterday.

Most fans who had flocked to the event – marketed as the "Leeds Carling Weekend" at Temple Newsam – watched as the fires burnt through the early hours. More police were in positions at the perimeter fence but did not move in.

Inspector Nick Dyson said: "As daytime arrived order was restored [but] the violence involved several hundred people." Ten people were arrested for public order and criminal damage offences.

The three-day event, with acts including Pulp, the Strokes, and the Foo Fighters performing on alternate nights at Leeds and Reading, attracted more than 50,000 music fans.

The decision to stage the festival had already caused controversy. Councillors were concerned after complaints about violence, vandalism and noise at last year's event, but festival organisers won an appeal at the magistrates' court in July against the council's decision to deny it a licence.

Insp Dyson said 200 crimes were recorded, and 20 people had been arrested, mainly for theft. There were 51 cautions for drug offences, mainly cannabis, and three people were charged, two with possession with intent to supply and one with possession.

In Reading police said a "good-natured" festival passed off without serious incident. It was attended by 80,000 fans, patrolled by 40 officers. More than 50 people were arrested and about 500 crimes reported, ranging from theft to public order offences. There were 234 drug seizures, mainly of cannabis.