UK police on alert after riots

Emergency services faced petrol bombs and burning barricades

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Hundreds of riot police are on alert for the possibility of fresh violence on the streets of Oldham in northern England.

The town has seen some of the worst race-related violence in Britain for 15 years and police said there would be no scaling down of its presence on the streets on Monday evening.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police have been criticised by some members of the local Asian community for their tactics during violence over the weekend.

But assistant chief constable Alan Bridge said: "There will be no scale down tonight."

On Saturday night a 500-strong group of Asian youths went on a seven-hour rampage hurling petrol bombs and bricks at police in what one senior officer described as a night of "ferocity and sheer carnage."

A total of 15 police officers were injured and 17 people were arrested.

GALLERY Oldham: A weekend of violence    CNN.com Europe More news from our Europe edition     MESSAGE BOARD UK decides 2001

On Sunday night there was further sporadic fighting across the town as gangs of youths hurled more petrol bombs and erected burning barricades of tyres and furniture.

Police and council officials said activity by right-wing extremists had stirred up racial tensions in the town, the UK Press Association said.

Members of the far-right groups, the National Front and the British National Party members are handing out leaflets in the town and attempting to recruit and attract voters for next month's general election, chief superintendent Eric Hewitt, who heads the Oldham division of Greater Manchester Police told the Press Association.

He added: "To reduce the fear since this started, we have had a massive police presence in our Asian communities and in the town centre to reassure people that the police will protect them.

"We are talking about over 500 police officers and we have protected them.

"We have had letters expressing thanks and appreciation from the Asian community for the job we did.

"I have spoken to the leader of the National Front and I've written to him and explained it would be helpful if they stayed away -- I received no response and they have turned up every week."

The BNP are fielding candidates in all three local parliamentary constituencies -- Oldham East and Saddleworth, Oldham West and Royton and Ashton-under-Lyne -- in the UK's June 7 election.

Police will maintain "strong presence"

The Liberal Democrat leader of Oldham Council Richard Knowles blamed social factors such as high unemployment and poor housing for the racial tension.

Community leaders said the violence had been sparked by a gang of white men attacking a shop and throwing a brick through the window of a house where a pregnant Asian woman lived.

But BNP chairman Nick Griffin, standing as a candidate in Oldham in the general election, told the BBC: "There's blame on both sides."

Environment minister Michael Meacher, standing for re-election as MP for Oldham West and Royton, told the BBC the riots were triggered by two events in the last week. He said white youths had gone to their former school and taunted Asian youths, leading to a brawl.

"Then on Saturday, the day of the main riot, a white youth known for his racist views was arrested by the police in the town centre and his mates a little later attacked a Pakistani shop near Glodwick ... and allegedly assaulted a Pakistani woman," he said.