Four children whose removal into foster care sparked rioting in Leeds are now back living with their extended family.
The children were previously staying with other family members when police and social workers took them into emergency care on Thursday amid fears they would be removed from the UK.
LEED RIOT
This caused chaos and public disorder in the suburb of Harehills, where buses were set alight and a police car was overturned.
During a Family Court hearing, Judge Helen Trotter-Jackson stressed the importance of the children’s welfare and the need to cool the tension.
The children’s parents are relieved at the judge’s decision, with the mother telling the BBC: ‘I’m glad the children are back with the family.’
COURT HEARD
Judge Trotter-Jackson elaborated that the Family Court received permission to take the children from their home due to concerns they would be transported out of the UK.
Leeds Children’s Services had been alerted by an unknown source that family members planned to take the children to their ancestral home of Romania.
Given the children are all foreign nationals without settled status in the UK, it could be hard for them to return to Britain should they have left, the court heard.
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Furthermore, it would be unlawful for them to leave the UK without permission of either the local authority or the court as all were subject to Family Court orders.
The orders have been in effect since April, after a baby in the family had to go to hospital following and incident that caused unexplained injuries.
This meant the children were sent to stay with different family members residing in the Harehills area.
Then, they were moved last week to live with foster carers resulting in the children feeling unhappy and unsettled, the court heard.
