British Riot police were out in force on Birmingham's streets last night after one man died and several others were injured in disturbances.
They broke out following a public meeting to address concerns over an alleged sex attack on a teenage girl.
Tensions have been high in the area since the end of last week after reports that a girl was attacked by a group of men.
On Friday, police again urged the victim of the alleged rape to come forward after three people were arrested in the Perry Barr area of Birmingham. Members of the black community in the north of the city claim the 14-year-old is reluctant to contact officers because she may be deported as an illegal immigrant.
Almost 1,000 people in the local area have signed a petition calling for "justice" for the girl and protests, sometimes involving more than 100 people, have been continuing for the past week. A force spokeswoman said officers would continue to meet community leaders and residents to discuss their concerns.
Last night's unrest followed a public meeting attended by two senior police officers and the MP for Perry Bar, Khalid Mahmood and followed a rally in support of victims of crime. A police spokeswoman said the meeting which began at 1pm had passed off peacefully. She confirmed the death, saying: "There has been one fatality and an officer has been injured. The cause of the fatality is not known.
The Lozells area of Birmingham is not new to racial tension. There is a strong Afro-Caribbean presence - the biggest contingent among the black population originating from Jamaica. Asian gangs have also grown up in the area and there has been simmering tension between the two racial groups.
Often trouble has related to drugs, mainly heroin, and gun crime.
In the early hours of January 2003, Charlene Ellis, 18, and Letisha Shakespeare, 17, were killed outside a hairdresser's in nearby Aston. The four defendants in that case were seeking revenge on a rival gang and the girls became their innocent victims.
PA