Family of ex-Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq fears leaving home due to Rotherham violence

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq has revealed his family feels unable to live their lives normally due to the alarming surge of anti-immigration rioters.

Far-right violence broke out over the weekend, with rioters attacking a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham.

Mr Rafiq, who has previously spoken out about racism in cricket, said the wave of aggression in the town has left his family feeling fearful of leaving the house alone.

“We’re not so far away either, it’s really worrying times for all of us concerned,” he told Sky News.

“On the family groups, everyone’s checking in on each other, staying in communication and keeping each other safe.

“It’s petrifying going to sleep at night in your home and not feeling safe - it’s not something you should be thinking about but that’s the situation for most people right now.”

The former Yorkshire County Cricket player explained his family had to take precautionary measures to avoid the danger.

He added: “Everyone’s encouraging each other to, if there is some necessity to go out for, then you are not on your own but if you can avoid it then do that.

“That’s the same for my family. We’re speaking, trying to monitor where these riots are, to try keep ourselves out of harm’s way.”

The cricketer welcomed Yvette Cooper’s decision to provide emergency security to mosques but urged the government to bring tougher measures.

Mr Rafiq said: “We’re in constant communication with the mosque, taking instructions from there so I do think that was a good step forward.

“But as we’ve seen in Rotherham with the hotel, nothing seems to be able to rein this in. It still feels like a ‘let’s see what happens next’ situation.

“Protecting the mosques, our places of worship, is a good start but there needs to be a bit more than that over the next few days and months.”

The situation in Rotherham escalated on Sunday after masked anti-immigration rioters stormed a hotel housing asylum seekers, hurling chairs and wooden planks at police.

Around 700 people gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express as a mob tried to torch the building.

Footage from the scene showed a bin set on fire as people draped in St George and union flags, chanting “get them out”.

According to South Yorkshire Police, the violent clash ended in injuries to at least ten officers, including one who was left unconscious.

The home secretary condemned the rioters, calling the violent act of deliberately setting fire to a building with people known to be inside “appalling”.

Addressing the widespread riots, the prime minister condemned the violence and vowed those involved in the “far-right thuggery” would “regret” their actions.