Man who set fire to police van at demo jailed

A man who set fire to a police van during a city centre demonstration has been jailed.

Hakam Ghaith poured accelerant onto the van and set it alight during a protest that took place around Calverley Street in Leeds on 1 November 2025, a court heard.

The 25-year-old, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to arson with recklessness to whether life was endangered and was sentenced to six years and eight months at Leeds Crown Court earlier.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said Ghaith did not know if anyone was in the van at the time and there was "potential for others in the vicinity to be hurt".

PC Charlotte Sampson, of Leeds CID, said: "Ghaith's actions that day put himself and others in danger with him using accelerant to set a police vehicle on fire."

She added: "Thankfully, no one was injured but the damage caused to the vehicle took a vital resource out of service, impacting on our ability to be able to respond to incidents and protect the public."

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