Police say thank you to East Leicester as Navratri celebrations continue safely

On Monday (26 September), Leicester saw the start of Navratri which is a special time of celebrations for many people. The police would like to thank everyone in East Leicester who have ensured this has been able to go ahead peacefully following the recent disorder.

With the policing operation still in full force, there have been a small number of arrests throughout the week. For the last few nights we have continued to see calm on the streets.

Next weekend will be the beginning of the Festival of Light, Diwali, which will see many people out on the streets and it is important they are able to do this safely.

So far, there have been a total of 55 arrests in relation to the disorder in East Leicester and these investigations will be continuing. The team of 50 strong detectives, police officers and PCSO’s will be trawling through thousands of hours of footage to ensure that any criminal offences are captured and action taken.

Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon said: “Religious festivals in Leicester are very important to our communities and the normal preparations went ahead bringing the level of harmony that we are used to in our city.

“I feel it is important that we continue with a high visibility police operation to support any of the Navratri and Diwali celebrations to ensure that people celebrate safely.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported our work and in particular not passing on any misinformation that is still being circulated on social media. We can’t let fake news determine how we live or the actions we chose to take, especially when there are consequences.

“We are working closely with the local council and other partners to look at the complex picture this disorder has presented and how we can all work together to prevent it happening again. We continue with an open dialogue with the community and continue to actively listen to concerns.

“I am very proud of this city. Let us continue to pull together and all I ask is that people continue to report any concerns to us.”