Leeds United fans have been warned not to repeat the party scenes that took place in Millennium Square on Sunday, as the city continues its fight against coronavirus.
Thousands of fans gathered to celebrate Leeds' promotion to the Premier League as Championship winners and any kind of social distancing quickly fell by the wayside.
Cllr Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and active lifestyles, said: “We know how important a return to the Premier League for Leeds United is, not just for the fans, but for everyone associated with the city, and there will be, of course, a desire to celebrate.
"We are however, as a city, continuing to tackle coronavirus, and it is absolutely vital therefore that people do not seek to replicate what we saw in Millennium Square or in any other venue in the upcoming days.
"Guidance regarding coronavirus is in place to ensure that people’s health and wellbeing, and that of others, continues to be protected, and that must remain the primary concern at this time."
Fans also left a huge amount of rubbish behind and several police officers were left injured - including one female officer who suffered a serious head injury - as sections of the crowd took things too far.
The following morning, Millennium Square was left covered in broken glass, beer cans, cardboard boxes and plastic bags.
Clr Rafique added: “We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage all to behave responsibly with their waste and not leave litter. A significant amount of limited council resources have to be diverted and utilised to undertake the type of clean-up required.
“Following celebrations from fans in Millennium Square, our street cleansing team, supported by Leeds BID rangers, have done a fantastic job to remove a huge amount of rubbish and associated waste left by fans from Millennium Square and surrounding streets, as can be seen in the photos of our team in action.”
