A reminder popped up on my phone today that back in 1961, things had hit a boiling point on Cannon Street in Middlesbrough. Three nights of rioting had built up to that day. The spark was the killing of an 18-year-old named Jeffrey Hunt, and the place was like a pressure cooker, especially that August, which was hotter than usual.
Hunt was part of a gang, all white kids, always up for causing trouble. Cannon Street was no peaceful street in Middlesbrough – cramped houses, constant arguments, drinking, and fights.
It had all blown up on the Friday evening. Hunt’s gang bumped into a group of Asian guys. Words flew, a bottle too, and before you knew it, fists were flying. Hunt squared off with a 25-year-old crane operator called Hussain Said. Said pulled a knife during the scuffle, they say, and Hunt ended up dead, bleeding out on the street.
Said soon got nabbed and would eventually be brought before a judge for murder. Close by was The Taj Mahal, a club for the Pakistani community. The police told the owners to shut down early that night. Smart move.
As the night wore on, the streets became packed with people pouring out of the pubs. They made their way to The Taj Mahal. The police formed a human wall, but that didn’t last. The crowd wanted those responsible for Hunt’s death. Chaos broke loose – the mob surged forward, burst through the police line, and stormed the club. They trashed the place, even tried to set it on fire. The Pakistani owners hid upstairs, terrified. More police had to be called in to get control, but not before some got hurt trying to make arrests.
The next day, more trouble. Over 500 folks gathered in the street after the pubs closed. Pakistani-owned places got hit again – windows shattered from stones and bottles. The police had enough – they charged, made 19 more arrests, and scared Pakistani families fled their homes.
By Monday 21st, Cannon Street looked like a disaster zone. A bunch of men and even a woman were brought in front of a judge. Out of them, 16 were sent to prison, 5 young ones to detention centres. The newspapers went wild, painting Middlesbrough as a hotbed of racial violence. It made international news – even a Russian paper called Middlesbrough Europe’s riot capital.
But lessons weren’t learnt. Monday night, the mob returned, bigger this time, around a thousand strong. They targeted Pakistani families. Police charged again, arrested 11 more.
Things finally cooled down on the Tuesday. After three nights of madness, Cannon Street started recovering. Hunt’s funeral took place on the Wednesday, with the residents of Cannon Street clubbing together to raise £10 for Hunt’s mother to buy a black coat for his funeral.
And as for Hussain Said, he got his day in court. But the judge said there wasn’t enough proof. The alleged murder weapon – a knife – had no blood or prints, and the wound on Hunt didn’t match up.
So, a dilemma: should I cycle into Middlesbrough for a picture of Cannon Street industrial estate? In a snap, decision made, and I headed up on to Great Ayton Moor. But here’s a distant shot of Middlesbrough seen through Roseberry col.
Sourced from numerous internet articles but mainly ‘Race Riots Scarred Face of the Town. – Free Online Library’. 2015. Thefreelibrary.com <https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Race+riots+scarred+face+of+the+town.-a0409150206> [accessed 21 August 2023]
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