‘It’s horrible how scared people were’: Southampton picks up the pieces after night of violence

Clear-up has begun but psychological impact likely to last much longer, as community reels from riots over Henry Nowak case The cleanup was quick. The day after an anti-police demonstration turned violent in the Portswood area of Southampton, workers cleared up broken glass and fixed fences that had been torn down to use as missiles against officers. But the psychological impact is likely to last much longer. People who live near the scene of the disturbances described their fear and anger. Many said they were sure that the family of Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed by police as he bled to death after being falsely accused of racism, would be horrified at what unfolded. Members of the Sikh community also said they were facing threats because of the violence of Nowak’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, and the failings of the police. Sophie Martin, who lives close to where crowds clashed with officers in riot gear, was fixing tarpaulin over the back windows of her family’s two smashed cars. “My kids’ car seats are covered in glass,” she said. “I saw [people holding] signs saying ‘protect the kids’, ‘safety is a privilege’. Well, I didn’t feel safe last night.” Satvir Kau