Peaceful Diwali celebrations take place in Leicester after recent violent clashes

 Image by @leicesterfestivals Facebook page

Leicester witnessed a peaceful Diwali lights switch-on event as police from South Wales were roped in to patrol the city’s Belgrave area where group clashes had taken place earlier.

The celebrations, known as the Diwali Village, began on Sunday evening at Cossington Recreation Ground and saw hundreds gather to watch programmes including cultural and entertainment activities.

It has, however, not been confirmed by Leicestershire Police whether the reinforcement was the result of the violent clashes between the Hindu and Muslim communities which was in full swing in the months of August and September.

A spokesman told LeicestershireLive that the local police were provided “mutual aid support” by the Welsh police.

“This evening, the Diwali light switch-on took place peacefully with officers providing a visible but reassuring presence,” Leicestershire Police tweeted on Sunday.

“Our officers spoke to many families at the light switch-on who were grateful to see and chat with them,” the social media post read.

It also added, “A reminder please to only share information on social media that you know to be true.”

Temporary chief constable Rob Nixon said it was “wonderful” that everyone came together to celebrate as officers continued their “high-visibility patrols”.

He confirmed that the security arrangements would be in place for Diwali Day on October 24.

According to reports, spreading of misinformation on the internet has been attributed to being the major factor in the escalation of situation in the diverse city.

The force confirmed that 61 people were arrested as the investigation into the several such incidents continued.