Man jailed for pushing officers during Rotherham hotel riot

He'll spend 20 months behind bars

Darren Ward
Author: Matt SoanesPublished 10th Mar 2026

A man has been jailed after taking part in the rioting outside a Rotherham hotel back in 2024.

55 year old Darren Ward, of Norville Crescent in Barnsley, will spend 20 months behind bars for violent disorder, after aggressively confronting officers and threatening their safety.

Crowds clashed with police in August 2024 outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, which was being used to house asylum seekers at the time.

Over 60 officers were injured during the disorder.

Ward handed himself into police three months later after his picture was published in a social media appeal.

During questioning, he declined to comment on his actions at the hotel, but ultimately admitted to the offence at Sheffield Crown Court.

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