Assault-claim peacemaker appeals for calm

A high-ranking peacemaker today appealed for calm despite claiming he was knocked unconscious by riot police during a tense night of sporadic violence in Burnley.

Shahid Malik, 33, a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee and a resident of the troubled Lancashire town, said he was set upon by officers in full riot gear as he tried to maintain a fragile peace on the streets last night.