Riots: Council begins pavement repairs costing £17,000 as clean-up continues
THE AFTERMATH: Damage to paving outside Shoezone in Jameson Street. Picture credit: Hull City Council
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
Hull City Council has begun repairing pavements damaged during rioting whipped up by far-right agitators.
The £17,000 cost to the authority was revealed during a hearing at Hull Crown Court on Friday, when three men who took part in the violence on August 3 were jailed for a total of seven years and eight months.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Mark Bury said the cost to the council was £17,000 “at the very least” and was likely to be “significantly more”.
He told Andrew Stewart, 37, Christopher Douglas, 35, and Brandon Kirkwood, 20 as they stood in the dock together: “Who pays for that? Well, not you. The council tax payers of Hull will be paying the bill for that.”
DAMAGE: A fire smouldering on Spring Bank
The widespread disorder saw city centre shops looted and fires started on pavements as the mob went on the rampage. It was one of a series of outbreaks of violence in towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland after a stabbing atrocity in Southport that claimed the lives of three girls, which was followed by false claims on social media about the religion and background of the alleged attacker.
The pavement repair work began today on Jameson Street, King Edward Street, Paragon Square, and Paragon Street.
The council said it will also “establish” fencing outside Lush in Jameson Street, one of the looted shops.
The work is expected to take three weeks and is based on the following timetable:
Monday 12 August to Thursday 15 August – Establish fencing and restore pavements opposite Lush
Tuesday 13 August to Friday 16 August – Restore pavements opposite Cash Converters and Cooplands
Monday 19 August to Wednesday 21 August – Restore pavements opposite Waterstones
Tuesday 20 August to Thursday 22 August – Restore pavements opposite KFC
Wednesday 21 August to Monday 26 August – Restore pavements opposite Bronx and Hammonds of Hull
Monday 26 August to Friday 30 August – Restore pavements outside Shoezone and clear site.
Work will be carried out in fenced-off areas for safety reasons and to minimise disruption.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, portfolio holder for transportation, roads, and highways, said: “The criminal damage inflicted upon our city centre is completely unacceptable. Not only is it a serious criminal offence to commit such atrocious acts of vandalism, but it also leads to unnecessary repair costs for the council.
UGLY: A mob outside the Royal Hotel in Ferensway, which had eight windows smashed after being pelted with missiles
“Despite the unnecessary costs, we are committed to restoring the damaged paving on Jameson Street promptly and effectively, to ensure the safety and accessibility of the public walkways for all residents and visitors.
“However, we want to make it absolutely clear that vandalism will not be tolerated, and we continue to support Humberside Police in their work to bring justice to those responsible for the criminality on our streets.
“We thank residents for their patience whilst these works are being carried out.”
The work will be carried out by CR Reynolds on behalf of the council.
Emergency work to restore a section of fire damaged carriageway on Spring Bank was completed by the council’s highways operations team on August 5. Work to restore and replace a section of damaged carriageway on Grey Street will also be completed by the same team this week.
REPAIRS: Shoezone being boarded up after the riots
As well as pavement and carriageway damage, ten public realm bins, and eight removable bins were fire damaged beyond repair. Replacements have been ordered and will be installed in the coming weeks. In the meantime, temporary bins have been placed along Jameson Street.
The cost so far to Humberside Police is £270,000, while TransPennine Express lost £13,664 after being forced to close Paragon Station. A total of £40,000 worth of goods were stolen from an O2 store in Jameson Street.
A police constable was scarred for life after being struck in the face with a missile while in a police cordon in King Edward Street. Other officers suffered heat exhaustion. Eleven of the 86 officers deployed to the incident were injured.
Stewart, Douglas and Kirkwood were the first three people to be sentenced for their part in the disorder in Hull. More have been charged and Humberside Police are continuing to make arrests and appeal for information to identify perpetrators.
Douglas, of Avenues Court, west Hull, admitted violent disorder and possession of cannabis and was jailed for two years and eight months
Stewart, of of Anlaby Road, west Hull, and Kirkwood, of Downing Grove, east Hull, both admitted violent disorder and were each jailed for two years and six months.
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