A crowd of veterans surrounded a disused pub in Greater Manchester after fireworks were believed to have been set off from an upstairs window during a two minutes’ silence
Police were called after a large group of veterans and attendees at a Remembrance Sunday memorial service in Eccles, Salford gathered in front of the pub and began shouting and throwing traffic cones at a man who appeared to be sitting in a window.
Minutes earlier, as the Last Post played and hundreds of people stood in silence to pay their respects at 11am at the town’s cenotaph, a series of fireworks exploded into the sky.
A man, believed to be a squatter at a disused pub across the road from the cenotaph, ignited the fireworks while sat on a ledge of a first floor window.
A crowd of angry veterans soon gathered outside shouting, “Get him out!” and trying to break the door of the pub down, with others attempting to climb up to the window.
A lone police officer stood blocking the door shouting into his police radio as he struggled to hold the crowd back from getting inside, before reinforcements arrived.
When the squatter, dressed in what appeared to be army-style clothing, appeared at the window number of traffic cones were launched at him before he retreated back inside.
A second man then appeared at the window, appearing to spit at the crowd, who shouted for him to dare to come outside the pub.
Police reinforcements soon arrived and the man, handcuffed with his head held down, was rushed out of the pub to a waiting police car which quickly sped away.
A large crowd remained at the scene with more people, who appeared to be squatting at the pub, left inside, as a squad of police officers guarded the entrance.