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UK to probe race riots, Home Secy issues warning

The British government will investigate factors behind the disorder in Bradford and other northern cities which witnessed racial violence recently, Home Secretary David Blunkett said as he issued a stern warning against "wanton destruction and violence".

Stating that the government would not tolerate the violence, Blunkett told the House of Commons yesterday that a new ministerial team would oversee "an investigation of communities hit by trouble and ethnically mixed areas which have not suffered, in an attempt to learn lessons and prevent a repeat of the disturbances."

As police appealed to the Asian community to disclose details of the ring-leaders involved in a weekend of disturbances in Bradford, in Yorkshire, he said police forces were already receiving guidance on dealing with the disorder.

Police in Bradford have admitted that they came close to losing control of the situation during the rioting on Saturday night in which two persons were stabbed and 164 police officers injured and cars and shops were set on fire.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh urged the government to consider introducing more officers on the beat. "Bradford lies bleeding, it needs to heal, and we need Blunkett's support."

Police were monitoring the affected-area last night as Bradford added up a bill of at least 25 million pound for the outbreak of arson and stone throwing by largely Asian mobs of Pakistani origin in the inner-city Manningham area over the weekend, media reports said on Wednesday.

PTI The UK Race Riots: The complete coverage

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