Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke has thanked 'true Middlesbrough' spirit as hundreds turned out to clean up the town following widespread disorder.
Mayor Cooke welcomed hundreds of volunteers who flocked to the town’s Cenotaph before 8am to take part in the operation across the town centre.
It followed shameful crime and disorder at a protest in the town on Sunday.
Mayor Cooke said: “The scenes we witnessed on Sunday have no place in Middlesbrough, and do not represent the diverse and welcoming town we all know and love.
“Violence and hate speech will never prevail here, or break the wonderful community spirit that is the very embodiment of this place.
“We also all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Cleveland Police who displayed immense bravery in the face of such mindless thuggery, and they will have our full support in bringing those responsible to justice.
“To see so many people who care about Middlesbrough and their fellow residents coming together this morning to help in the clean-up operation has been truly humbling, and that should be the abiding image people have of our town.”
A spokesperson for Middlesbrough’s Interfaith Network said: “As Middlesbrough’s multi-faith communities, we reject and condemn hate in all its forms, which stems from division and fear.
“Instead, we collectively stand for compassion, respect, unity and love for each other.”