Family of ex-Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq fears leaving home due to Rotherham violence

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Family of ex-Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq fears leaving home due to Rotherham *********

Former

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cricketer

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has revealed his family feels unable to live their lives normally due to the alarming surge of

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.

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, with rioters

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.

Mr Rafiq, who has previously spoken out about racism in cricket, said the wave of aggression in the town has left his family feeling fearful of leaving the house alone.

“We’re not so far away either, it’s really worrying times for all of us concerned,” he told Sky News.

“On the family groups, everyone’s checking in on each other, staying in communication and keeping each other safe.

“It’s petrifying going to sleep at night in your home and not feeling safe – it’s not something you should be thinking about but that’s the situation for most people right now.”

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Former Yorkshire County Cricket Club player Azeem Rafiq has voiced concerns over the ‘frightening’ far-right ********* (AP)

The former

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player explained his family had to take precautionary measures to avoid the danger.

He added: “Everyone’s encouraging each other to, if there is some necessity to go out for, then you are not on your own but if you can avoid it then do that.

“That’s the same for my family. We’re speaking, trying to monitor where these riots are, to try keep ourselves out of harm’s way.”

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Police officers and anti-immigration supporters outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham (PA)

The cricketer welcomed Yvette Cooper’s decision to provide emergency security to mosques but urged the government to bring tougher measures.

Mr Rafiq said: “We’re in constant communication with the mosque, taking instructions from there so I do think that was a good step forward.

“But as we’ve seen in Rotherham with the hotel, nothing seems to be able to rein this in. It still feels like a ‘let’s see what happens next’ situation.

“Protecting the mosques, our places of worship, is a good start but there needs to be a bit more than that over the next few days and months.”

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Flames ***** as rioters take part in an anti-immigration demonstration in Rotherham (Reuters)

The situation in

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escalated on Sunday after masked anti-immigration rioters stormed a hotel housing asylum seekers, hurling chairs and wooden planks at police.

Around 700 people gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express as a mob tried to torch the building.

Footage from the scene showed a bin set on ***** as people draped in St George and union flags, chanting “get them out”.

According to South Yorkshire Police, the

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ended in injuries to at least ten officers, including one who was left unconscious.

The

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, calling the violent act of deliberately setting ***** to a building with people known to be inside “appalling”.

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and vowed those involved in the “far-right thuggery” would “regret” their actions.

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#Family #exYorkshire #cricketer #Azeem #Rafiq #fears #leaving #home #due #Rotherham #*********

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