An asylum seeker in a hotel that was the target of violent riots in which police officers were pelted with incendiary devices and fireworks said he thought he was dying.
The riots broke out on Sunday evening after a crowd gathered outside a Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth, Staffordshire. Police described the attacks as “senseless violence”.
The 17-year-old Kurd said: “All the asylum seekers ran up the stairs. It was good that the police were here with us.”
He stated that more than 100 asylum seekers were in the hotel and had been taken to alternative accommodation in three buses in the early hours of the morning.
The teenager was separated from his family by smugglers and arrived in the UK a month ago.
He spoke to the BBC by telephone; the interview was arranged through a volunteer from a local charity.
Drone footage has emerged, filmed by a local resident and made available exclusively to the BBC.
The scenes came in addition to other clashes in British cities following the fatal knife attack on three children in Southport a week ago.
The unrest was partly fueled by false claims that the suspect was a Muslim and a refugee.
The Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth had been used to house asylum seekers “for years,” the local MP said in July.
IHG, owner of the Holiday Inn brand, said its priority was “the safety of our guests and colleagues.”
The teenager said: “I was terrified. I myself escaped death from my homeland and found refuge. And now here I thought I was going to die last night.”
When asked what he would say to people who are concerned about public money being spent on asylum seekers, the 17-year-old said: “I was forced to flee, I want to live a peaceful life.”
“I don’t care about money. I just want to live, just live.”
He said of the police: “I will never forget their help until I die. The police helped us a lot.”
Staffordshire Police said six of its officers were attacked in violent incidents in Tamworth and Stoke-on-Trent over the weekend.
Ten people have been arrested and two have been charged, police said, and “more will follow.”
The police have set up a portal through which people with pictures, videos and other evidence can get in touch.
Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Ellison said: “Police forces across the country have the same message for those involved in these incidents: you are being tracked and we are working around the clock to find you.”
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