“Many will no doubt now be feeling a sense of relief, hope and optimism”

A reporter wrote of her surprise and relief at finding only community spirit on the streets of Middlesbrough on a night when the far-right had threatened to descend on the town.

Naomi Corrigan, who writes for TeessideLive and the Gazette newspaper, had worked with her managers to try and find the safest way possible to cover planned protests by the far-right on Wednesday night.

The town was still recovering from riots at the weekend, which the Gazette had denounced as shameful in its coverage.

Naomi wrote: “I headed out to the streets of Middlesbrough on Wednesday night with a strong feeling of unease.

“Having seen firsthand the widespread destruction of property and the emotional impact on those affected by Sunday’s rioting, I could understand the sense of dread triggered by rumours of further unrest. Most posts I’d seen on social media had begged for calm.

“However, I also read a call for further chaos, which was so vicious and offensive, it literally took my breath away and forced our editors to make difficult decisions on whether the risk to staff heading out for the night might be too great. I personally expected to see at least some trouble on the streets, instead what I found on my rounds was quite the opposite.

“I only saw small crowds of people gathered near the Tesco Express store and men in pairs standing outside businesses, seemingly there to protect their livelihoods in case of further unrest.

“A high police presence remained and while I heard the odd siren throughout the night, any expectations of further violence, as far as I could see, thankfully failed to materialise.

“I’m unaware of any other incidents occurring during the night which mirrored anything like those scenes on Sunday. And while no-one can guarantee it won’t happen again, many will no doubt now be feeling a sense of relief, hope and optimism.”