The MP for Bradford West, Naz Shah, has appealed for calm after protesters brought traffic to a standstill over the fatal police shooting of Yassar Yaqub.

Dozens of demonstrators, many covering their faces, marched through the city on Tuesday night with protesters hurling missiles at police.

The three-hour protest was sparked by the shooting of Yaqub, a 28-year-old father-of-two, by armed police when they cornered his white Audi sports car near the M62 in Huddersfield on Monday night.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is investigating the shooting, said a suspected illegal firearm was found in Yaqub’s car after he was killed.

On Wednesday, Shah urged her constituents to be patient and support the police watchdog’s investigation as she called for calm on the streets of West Yorkshire.

“I recognise that tensions are running high within communities. The local police also understand the heightened tension that the events over the past 24 hours have caused within our communities and the need to provide reassurance,” said the Labour MP.



“I understand that West Yorkshire police are working fully with the IPCC’s independent investigation into the circumstances of the shooting and there is due process to follow, which may mean certain information cannot be provided in the way that communities feel they need.”

Shah said the vast majority of those who protested on Tuesday night were peaceful. West Yorkshire police confirmed there had been only “minor disorder” when some protesters threw missiles but that there had been no arrests.

The MP added: “I have been assured that West Yorkshire police continue to be committed in facilitating peaceful protest and will continue talking and listening to communities with real concerns. The vast majority of those who attended tonight’s protest were peaceful in their actions. We must allow The IPCC investigation to take place, which will take its due course. This will require our patience and support.

“Finally I urge the leadership of our community to work in partnership with the elected members and most importantly the agencies concerned to ensure that lessons are learned from this tragic incident.

“I urge our community to remain calm and respect the wishes of the family who have lost their loved one and have appealed for calm and privacy during this very difficult time.”

The fatal shooting follows a recent surge in gun crime in West Yorkshire, including an incident on Christmas Day when a police officer was fired at while taking a witness statement outside a nightclub in Bradford. The officer was not injured in the incident, which is not believed to be connected to the shooting of Yaqub.

Five people remain in police custody over the investigation into Yaqub, which centred on the suspected illegal possession of a firearm. Three of those were arrested when Yaqub’s car was cornered on a slip road of the M62 on Monday night. Two others were held in a simultaneous stop of a car in Bradford.