1980 St. Pauls riot black community. Relations between police and the local community remained tense and reached a low point in 1986 when 600 police raided the Black and White Café again in an action named "Operation Delivery". It took intervention by local Member of Parliament William Waldegrave to persuade the police to scale down their policy of containment. The Black and White Café had long had a reputation as a drug den and was allegedly raided more times by the police than any other premises in the country. In 2003 Bristol City Council used its powers of compulsory purchase and in 2005 the
1980 St. Pauls riot the police of Sus laws to stop and search youths, predominantly those from the Afro-Caribbean community, raised tension. There was also an increase in racial harassment on local council housing estates, which was largely ignored by the housing department. It is unclear why the riot started; some sources suggest that it was as a result of police ripping a customer's trousers and refusing to pay, others that they were attacked as they removed alcohol from the café which did not have a drinks licence. According to "The Guardian" newspaper, 100–200 black and white youths were involved. However other sources estimate