Rancor between the poor and the establishment made rock-throwing teenage girl's 'beating' by police spark London riots. Pictures that show how Tottenham turned into a war zone
The family of Mark Duggan has condemned the riot that broke out in Tottenham last night as eyewitness reports emerge that trouble erupted after a 16-year-old girl threw a rock at police.
Mr Duggan was shot dead by marksmen on Thursday and his fiancee, Semone Wilson, has said that she wanted answers, not trouble, while his brother, Shaun Hall, called for the community to remain calm.
The Metropolitan Police has described Mr Duggan's death as 'regrettable' and blamed the violent anarchy that flared on a 'criminal minority'.
Aftermath: A building that was set ablaze in Tottenham is just an empty shell this morning
Shocking: This morning the mangled burnt out shell of a double-decker bus that was set on fire sits in Tottenham's High Road, left, while on the right is a travel agent shop that was one of the many businesses attacked during a night of anarchy
The morning after: Bricks and debris from the previous night's riots litter High Road
Clear-up: A fireman watches as a building that was set ablaze is dowsed with water, left, while the picture on the right shows the extent of the looting that took place with this shop stripped bare of TVs
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Hall repeated the family's call for answers about how his brother was killed.
He said: 'There should be someone here putting our minds at rest about what happened. He's not some type of gangster. He's a family man.'
Asked about his thoughts on the violence that flared up, which saw police and members of the public injured, he said: 'We're not condoning any kind of actions like that. There was a domino effect that we don't condone at all. I know people are frustrated and angry, but we ask them to please hold it down.'
In an interview with the Guardian, Ms Wilson also made a plea for an explanation from authorities.
She said: 'When we were outside the police station last night we wanted someone to come out. We want some answers. I have not even told my children that he is dead because we cannot give them any answers.'
Twenty-six police officers were injured in riots that broke out.
Scotland Yard said at least one of the officers had suffered head injuries after protesters clashed with police in Tottenham, north London.
Scotland Yard said this morning: 'There remain isolated pockets of criminality in the Tottenham area involving a small number of people. Officers are currently taking steps to deal with these incidents.'
In a statement, Commander Adrian Hanstock said: 'Last night's disorder and violence in Tottenham is completely unacceptable. The behaviour by a criminal minority put police officers, fire brigade personnel and the public at significant risk.
'The death of Mr. Duggan is extremely regrettable and will be the subject of an independent investigation by the IPCC. It is absolutely tragic that someone has died, but that does not give a criminal minority the right to destroy businesses and people's livelihoods and steal from their local community.
'There was no indication that the protest would deteriorate into the levels of criminal and violent disorder that we saw. We believe that certain elements, who were not involved with the vigil, took the opportunity to commit disorder and physically attack police officers, verbally abuse fire brigade personnel and destroy vehicles and buildings.
'We do not believe that this is something that the vast majority of law abiding citizens in Tottenham would condone or would want.'
Tottenham anarchy: Grim echo of 1985 Broadwater farm riot
Last night’s disturbance sparked grim memories of the infamous Broadwater Farm riot of 1985 in which PC Keith Blakelock was hacked to death.
Violence erupted after the death of Tottenham resident Cynthia Jarrett, 49. Mrs Jarrett collapsed and died from a heart attack while police were at her home carrying out a search the day before the disturbances. On October 6, a small crowd gathered outside Tottenham police station and broke its windows.
Later that afternoon, two beat officers were attacked and seriously injured by a brick-throwing crowd.
Destroyed: Police officers in riot gear inspect a burned-out car on the Broadwater Farm housing estate, Tottenham, London, the day after the riot of October 6 1985
A community protest meeting was followed by a police officer having his car attacked and then a mob attacking the police van called to help him. In the riots that ensued, PC Blakelock, 40, was killed on the Broadwater Farm housing estate.
After police baton charges, officers were forced back by rioters. As they retreated, PC Blakelock tripped and fell and was surrounded by balaclava-wearing rioters.
He suffered 42 wounds and his head was slashed eight times with a machete.
Patrol: Police officers in riot gear on the Broadwater Farm housing estate
Two policemen were also shot and injured, and by midnight on the day of the riot 58 officers and 24 other people had been taken to hospital.
Petrol bombs were thrown during the violence, and cars were overturned and set alight along with shops and other buildings.
The Broadwater Farm riot followed similar disturbances in Brixton. PC Blakelock was posthumously awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal.
Looting: Like last night, the rioters in 1985 broke into shops and helped themselves to goods
Smouldering: This aerial shot shows the extent of the damage caused by rioters in Tottenham. Commander Adrian Hanstock described the trouble as 'absolutely unacceptable'
Devastation: The peaceful vigil over the death of Mark Duggan quickly escalated into a full-scale riot in which huge amounts of damage was caused. Fire crews spent hours bring the flames under control
Burnt to a shell: This building was completely gutted by fire and this morning was still smouldering. Fire crews reported suffering verbal abuse from rioters
Wrecked: Two police cars used as a road block were set alight during the troubles
So far police have made 42 arrests in connection with the trouble, which flared after members of the community took to the streets last night to demand 'justice', after Mr Duggan's death.
Patrol cars, a shop and a double-decker bus were set ablaze and there were reports of looting amid scenes reminiscent of the violent unrest in the same area 26 years ago when PC Keith Blakelock was hacked to death.
More than 100 officers and specialist riot police faced crowds of more than 500 people protesting about the death of Mr Duggan, who lived on the estate and was described last week by police sources as a ‘gangster’.
Senior political figures were united in their condemnation of last night's unrest.
Home Secretary Theresa May said: 'I condemn utterly the violence in Tottenham last night. Such disregard for public safety and property will not be tolerated, and the Metropolitan Police have my full support in restoring order.
'I want to pay tribute to the officers who put themselves in harm's way.'
David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, was at the scene this morning. He said: ‘What happened here on Thursday night raised huge questions and we need answers.
‘The response to that is not to loot and rob. There are homeless people standing back there. We have officers in hospital, some of whom are seriously injured. It's a disgrace. This must stop.’
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'I'm appalled at the scenes of violence and destruction in Tottenham. The Acting Commissioner has assured me that the police are doing everything they can to resolve this situation. The events leading to these disturbances are rightly being investigated by the IPCC. Harming people and property will do nothing to facilitate the investigation, it will only make the situation worse.'
There was concern that the disturbances were fanned by Twitter, with some of those taking part posting inflammatory comments from the scene and calling for reinforcements.
One picture of a police car on fire in the area was re-tweeted more than 100 times on the social networking site within an hour.
Mr Duggan was shot by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s CO19 unit on Thursday evening after the minicab he was travelling in was stopped. There was an apparent ‘exchange’ of fire and a bullet was found lodged in a police radio.
Mr Duggan died at the scene and an officer was injured, but left hospital after treatment.
The violence last night started soon after a crowd of about 120 had begun to gather at the High Road, near Tottenham Hotspur’s football ground, from about 5.30pm.
One resident, Laurence Bailey, told the Guardian that the violence started after a 16-year-old girl 'threw something, maybe a stone, at the original riot police line'.
He added that this was met with a furious response, with around 15 riot officers pounding her with shields.
This description of events was corroborated by another local who spoke to BBC News. He said that the girl was 'set upon' by police and that the crowd surged forward in anger.
Shot dead: Mark Duggan was killed by armed police last Thursday - but there are suggestion he did not open fire
Meanwhile, a fight broke out when rival gangs attended King's College Hospital after two victims of minor stabbings were admitted, police said. The hospital has brought in extra security for the rest of the night and officers remain on scene dealing with the initial stabbings, the spokesman added.
Six fire engines were dispatched to deal with a blaze at a Foot Locker shop in Brixton, south London, and witnesses saw riot police clash with looters at a Currys store nearby. Police say the looting across London was carried out by 'small and mobile' groups.
As violence spread, around 50 youths gathered in Oxford Circus, central London, and caused damage to property.
Elsewhere, more than 30 youths, many in masks, vandalised and looted shops in Walthamstow Central, including BHS.
'Officers attended the area and the situation is currently under control. Groups of youths are continuing to target shops in Waltham Forest and officers are on scene,' a police spokesman said.
The windscreen of a police vehicle was smashed after groups caused a disturbance in Islington, and goods were stolen from a Tesco store in Ponders End.
The spokesman added: 'As a result of quick and decisive action by police numerous arrests have been made at various locations.'
One witness Lewis Whyld, a photographer for the Press Association, described the scenes at a Currys store in Brixton: 'A couple of 100 youths were rioting and looting. Riot police went in to get them out and there was a big fight in the street.
'Youths were throwing rocks and bottles and there was a bin on fire. They used a fire extinguisher to push the police back so they could get back into Currys and continue taking things out.'
He said there did not seem to be enough police on the scene to deal with the group and that many of the looters were wearing hoods and had scarves covering their faces.
Out of control: Scores of police tackle rioters in Tottenham last night
Fire fighters attempt to put out one of the many blazes that were started last night in a night of anarchy
Inferno: Flames rages through a building in Tottenham, with fire crews prevented from tackling it in case they were attacked by rioters
Twitter riot: A red London double decker bus burns as riot police try and bring rioting under control in Tottenham late last night
The rioters' target was the police station which was being guarded late last night by lines of officers and police vans. As the disorder spread, and the numbers of demonstrators swelled, two police cars being used to block the road were set ablaze by masked youths.
Flames began to billow from a shop and then a double-decker bus was engulfed in flames and quickly reduced to a twisted shell. Witnesses also reported seeing a jewellery shop and a bookmakers being looted. Teenagers and younger children were seen carrying valuables through the shattered glass front of an electrical shop.
Windows were smashed at a Barclays Bank and pictures on Twitter appeared to show the building being looted. There were also reports that youths had stormed McDonald’s and had started frying their own burgers and chips.
Victim: Mark Duggan, shot by police in Ferry Lane, Tottenham
One said: ‘It is utter carnage out there. We have been beaten up quite badly and had about £8,000 of equipment stolen. We were quite discreet but as soon as we got a camera out we were set on by youths with masks who were armed with crowbars.’
In a separate incident, a Mail on Sunday reporter was chased down a side street and struck on the back of the head with a rock.
In a parallel with the 1985 riot, residents claimed the roots of last night’s violence lay in allegations of police harassment.
John Blake, who grew up with Mr Duggan on the Broadwater estate, claimed the dead man had been victimised by police in recent weeks.
He said: ‘I know the police were harassing him. The police were following him. If you’re from Broadwater Farm, police are on you every day, you’re not allowed to come off the estate. If you come off the estate they follow you.’
A family friend of Mr Duggan, who gave her name only as Nikki, 53, said the man’s friends and relatives had organised the protest because ‘something has to be done’ and the marchers wanted ‘justice for the family’.
Some of those involved lay in the road to make their point, she said.
‘They’re making their presence known because people are not happy,’ she added. ‘This guy was not violent. Yes, he was involved in things but he was not an aggressive person. He had never hurt anyone.’
As the rioting escalated, trouble-makers on Twitter seemed keen to orchestrate the violence, bringing scores more people into the area. One user calling himself ‘English Frank’ urged attacks on the police, saying: ‘Everyone up and roll to Tottenham f*** the 50 [police]. I hope 1 dead tonight.’
And in a clear incitement to looting, ‘Sonny Twag’ tweeted: ‘Want to roll Tottenham to loot. I do want a free TV. Who wudn’t.’
‘Mrs Lulu’ tweeted: ‘Brehs [men] asking who’s down to roll [go] Tottenham right now, to get justice. – RIP Mark x.’
A tweet apparently passed on by chart-topping rapper Chipmunk, who comes from Tottenham, paid tribute to the dead man: ‘R.I.P Mark Duggan a real straight up and down respected man. LOVE!!!!!!!!’
Joining in the Twitter frenzy, ‘Ashley AR’ tweeted: ‘I hear Tottenham’s going coco-bananas right now. Watch me roll.’
Officers from Trident, the police unit that deals with gun crime in the black community, had been attempting to arrest Mr Duggan when Thursday’s shooting took place.
‘Shots were fired and a 29-year-old man, who was a passenger in the cab, died at the scene,’ said a spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is investigating. It is believed that two shots were fired by a firearms officer, equipped with a Heckler & Koch MP5 carbine.
Local MP David Lammy called for calm last night. On his website, he said: ‘We already have one grieving family in our community and further violence will not heal that pain.’
Last night, a Scotland Yard spokesman explained how the riot began.
‘Two police cars had parked up at Forster Road/High Road while their officers conducted traffic patrols on foot. At approximately 2020 hours a number of bottles were thrown at these two cars – one was set alight and the second was pushed into the middle of the High Road. It was subsequently set alight.’
This morning, a section of the High Road, where the trouble started at about 8.30pm yesterday, was cordoned off and a line of police officers stood facing the crowd of locals that had gathered.
One police officer, asked by an elderly resident why more had not been done to stop the rioters, replied: 'The way we look at it, we're damned if we do, we're damned if don't.'
Police vans were parked in the middle of the road and the blue lights of two stationary fire engines continued to flash in the bright morning sunshine.
Rubbish swirled around the empty street, which had last night witnessed dramatic battle scenes.
Local residents wandered through the wrecked retail park in disbelief, some taking photos of the devastation. The front window of Currys electrical store was smashed and smithereens of glass covered the ground outside.
Next door, Argos's door had been smashed in and broken glass covered the floor inside and out after looters apparently raided the stock room.
A futile alarm rang out but was all but drowned out by the whirring of helicopters circling overhead. Rubbish bins had been tipped over and their contents strewn across the car park.
Discarded flat screen television boxes and other unwanted packaging covered paved areas outside the electronic goods stores.
The looters had evidently removed the products from their boxes to create more space in their shopping trolleys and cars, which were said to number up to 100.
Fragments of glass from the smashed in door of PC World littered the ground.
The scene outside Comet was similar and outside B&Q - one of the few stores that did not appear to have been looted - staff stood uncertainly, waiting to hear from head office whether they would be working today. With police tape cordoning off most of the neighbouring shops, the prospect seemed unlikely.
A member of staff at The Carphone Warehouse next door said every phone in the shop had been stolen.
The contents of the stock room were spilled across the pavement outside from the smashed in door. Inside, it had been pulled apart. A solitary mobile phone rang out from beneath a pane of glass on the ground.
Outside JD sport shop, broken mannequins lay on the ground, plastic legs and torsos scattered here and there. Plastic coat hangers and discarded packaging also lay among the debris.
The sense of anger at what the looters had done was clear. Nadine Knight, 24, who works in administration at a planning and architecture firm said: ‘I'm completely and utterly disgusted by what the community has managed to do here.
‘They need to come together a bit more and help the community, not damage it. I'm so upset, I can't believe it.’
Another resident, Norman McKenzie, 37, who works as a security guard at the Next clothes store in the retail park, was also appalled.
He said: ‘I can understand they're angry and above all that there's unemployment and cutting benefits so everything comes together and the cup is full.’
He had been told by his employer not to go to work today ‘because of the riot’.
Christian Macani, 22, who works in environmental sciences, asked a question that was on the lips of many in his neighbourhood this morning. ‘What does this achieve?’ he said. ‘They can't get away with this, can they?
‘People really don't think. It's stupid, this. They've achieved absolutely nothing. It's a joke.’
The 'gangsta' gunman killed in shoot-out with police whose death sparked riots
Gunman: Mark Duggan shot the officer in the side of his chest with a handgun
Staring at the camera and making a gun symbol with his fingers, this is the dead 'gangster' whose death sparked the Tottenham riots.
Mark Duggan, 29, was in a car being followed by police during a covert operation on Thursday.
But Duggan, a known offender from London’s notorious Broadwater Farm Estate, became aware that he was being followed and opened fire on the officers.
He shot the officer from Scotland Yard’s elite firearms squad CO19 in the side of his chest with a handgun.
The bullet lodged in the police radio that the undercover officer was carrying in a side pocket.
Armed officers shot the gunman dead seconds later.
Residents said at least three shots were fired when officers swooped during the evening rush hour at about 6.15pm.
The Evening Standard quoted the dead man's girlfriend Simone Wilson, 29, as saying she was 'shocked' to learn her boyfriend of 13 years was carrying a gun.
A witness said the shooting took place near a bus stop and medics tried to save the man’s life as he lay in the street.
One witness said the victim was an ‘elder’ from the Broadwater Farm Estate, a short distance away.
Fatal: A man was shot dead by police in north London last night in an incident where an officer was also wounded
Inquiry: The Independent Police Complaints Commission has now launched an investigation into the shooting at Tottenham Hale
The phrase is used to describe people who are well known and respected by residents.
Broadwater Farm was the scene of violent riots that led to the death of Pc Keith Blakelock in 1985.
One source said: ‘We can only hope that the backlash from the community is not severe – it is effectively a death in custody.’
Miss Wilson said Mr Duggan, also known as Starrish Mark, had become increasingly paranoid after a cousin was stabbed to death in a nightclub in March.
A police spokesman said: ‘The Directorate of Professional Standards and Independent Police Complaints Commission have been informed.’
An IPCC spokesman said that at around 6.15pm yesterday officers from Trident, accompanied by officers from the Specialist Firearms Command (CO19), stopped a minicab to carry out an arrest.
'Shots were fired and a 29-year-old man, who was a passenger in the cab, died at the scene,' he said.
The attempted arrest was part of a pre-planned operation under Trident.
It is believed that two shots were fired by a firearms officer, equipped with a Heckler & Koch MP5 carbine. A non-police issue handgun was recovered at the scene.
An officer's radio which appears to have a bullet lodged in it has also been recovered.
'Both the radio and the handgun are being sent for expedited forensic tests,' the spokesman added.
Incident: The shooting took place on the Ferry Lane bridge, next to Tottenham Hale Tube station
He would not state the extent of the officer's injuries, but revealed he had since been discharged from hospital.
The shooting took place on the Ferry Lane bridge, next to Tottenham Hale Tube station.
Jay Crowned, 39, who lives locally, said Mr Duggan had four children - three girls and one boy - and described him as 'a good daddy'.
Locals named Mark Duggan, pictured with his girlfriend Simone Wilson, as the victim of the police shootout
She added: 'The whole family is devastated. Mark was a local boy who was loved by the community.
'He's not a troublemaker but he's been down since his friend was stabbed in Mile End in around April this year.
'His friend was like a brother and he lost him brutally, since then he's been really down. He's never had trouble with the police before.'
Another local woman said friends of the victim told her the man was in a car at the time of the shooting, while another local resident reported seeing a body 'at the apex of the bridge' next to a bus stop.
David Akinsanya, who lives locally, came upon the scene moments after the incident.
He was told by a witness that a police officer had shouted to the man to stop 'a couple of times', but the man had not heeded the warning.
The witness, who lives next to the spot where it happened, then heard four shots ring out, Mr Akinsanya, 46, said.
He added: 'There are lots of helicopters and sirens all over the place. There was also a surveillance van on the corner where this happened a couple of times earlier this week.'
Local MP David Lammy said: 'I am shocked and deeply worried by this news. There is now a mood of anxiety in the local community but everyone must remain calm.
'It is encouraging that the Independent Police Complaints Commission has immediately taken over the investigation. There is a need to clarify the facts and to move quickly to allay fears.
'It is very important that our community remains calm and allows the investigation to take its course.'
Rescue: An air ambulance pictured landing on Ferry Lane following the shooting
IPCC Commissioner, Rachel Cerfontyne, said: 'Fatal shootings by the police are extremely rare and understandably raise significant community concerns.
'The IPCC will always conduct the investigations into such shootings to ensure that the public can be confident they are fully independent.
'I will make certain that this investigation is thorough and answers the many questions that everyone has when such an incident occurs.
'I fully recognise how distressing and disturbing this must be for the family and the local community.
'Obviously our investigation is at a very early stage, but I will publish further information and any findings as soon as possible.
'We were able to send our own investigators to the scene very quickly yesterday, which meant that the IPCC took control of the investigation promptly.
'Any witnesses to what happened will make a vital contribution to our evidence gathering, so I would urge anyone who saw the incident to contact us as a matter of urgency.'
Battle: The riots saw violent clashes between police and youths with rocks and fireworks being hurled at officers
Stand-off: Rioters wearing bandanas confront police officers. The trouble saw 26 policeman injured and eight taken to hospital
Footage was posted on YouTube of local solicitor’s office Attridge on fire.
Resident David Akinsanya, 46, who was on the scene, said: ‘It’s really bad. There are two police cars on fire. I’m feeling unsafe. It looks like it’s going to get very tasty. I saw a guy getting attacked.’
A local woman, who declined to give her name, said: ‘There’s a theory going on that the man who was shot had dropped his gun, but they still shot him. I’m hearing that most of the shops in the High Road are being burgled and robbed.’
Several fire crews could only stand ready nearby as they were barred from the High Road where buildings and the bus were ablaze.
One fireman complained to The Mail on Sunday that earlier, three engines had been dispatched to the scene without being warned they were entering a riot zone. He said: ‘We were sent to a road accident but it was the police cars on fire.
‘We were then ordered to leave them burning and to drive off, probably for our own safety.
Violent clashes: Riot police treat a man for his injuries before arresting him in Tottenham
Brutal: An injured policeman is tended to by his colleagues and a paramedic in a night that saw 26 officers and three members of the public hurt
‘I cannot believe what we have just driven through. As we pulled out of the station, there was a car on fire on the High Road and there were people in the middle of the road – it was very scary. We didn’t give them a chance to try to stop us. I am still shaking.’
Meanwhile, two Mail on Sunday photographers were viciously beaten and robbed by masked youths armed with crowbars and other makeshift weapons and reporters on the scene were threatened by looters in balaclavas.
The photographers said there was ‘total lawlessness’ in the area with the contents of shops strewn across the streets and the police unable to gain access.
London on lockdown as police face gangs armed with petrol bombs and poles on third night of riots
Violence erupted in broad daylight this afternoon as rioters surrounded police vans, looted lorries and targeted shops in a series of attacks across London.
Scores of police raced to Hackney as a mob of hooded youths began hurling missiles at the officers. There was also sporadic violence in nearby Dalston where shops and businesses were attacked and youths clashed with police and set fire to cars outside Lewisham Town Hall.
In Peckham Rye shops have been attacked, including Clarks and Primark, and buses are not currently running through Peckham and Lewisham. There are reports of disturbances in East Ham too.
Other areas of London were braced for violence with workers barricading their shops in Stratford and Islington and barriers were erected outside Westfield Shopping Centre. Kilburn High Street has also been closed off and police are currently on the streets in Harlesden.
On Twitter, users posted that the violence was rapidly brimming out of control with one person tweeting he had seen 'at least 30 riot vans and three helicopters' in Hackney. Youths were seen setting fire to cars, rubbish bins, and were also spotted setting off fireworks in the direction of police.
A burning car in Hackney this afternoon. Violence has also begun in Peckham, south London with shops being attacked and a bus has also been set on fire
Youths on the streets of Hackney this afternoon set fire to bins, pictured, as well as cars, and were seen throwing stones, bricks and glass at police
A car is set on fire in Hackney. Home Secretary Theresa May said there had been 215 arrests since the violance began on Saturday and 25 people charged
Chaos: Rioters surround police vans in Mare Street, Hackney, this afternoon as violence erupts again throughout the capital
Anarchy: Police under a bridge in Hackney clash with rioters this afternoon as violence spreads across the capital
Nearly a year after riots swept across the UK, a series of never-seen-before images have been released from the epicentre of the chaos.
The photographs capture the lawlessness which spread throughout the capital in August, in hotopts including Tottenham, Enfield, Croydon and Hackney which look more like war zones, ravaged by looters and rioters who broke in to businesses, set fire to buildings and threw missiles at police.
The images also highlight the effort of brave police and firefighters who risked their lives to tackle burning buildings and attend to injured rioters, as well as enduring dangerous missiles being thrown at close range.
A rioter refuses to back down from police during the first night of the summer riots, in Tottenham, London, which turned the capital into 'war zone'
A man looks out of his window above Tottenham High Street where flames engulf the building next door. In the background his television shows a police broadcast about the riot
Doctors and a police medic risk tend to an injured person who has been arrested during the first night of the riots, in Tottenham, London. Groups of police and firefighters in the background attempt to keep the area safe
Press Association photographer Lewis Whyld, who captured the infamous moment a Tottenham carpet shop was consumed by flames, found the unpublished photos while looking back through his work, a year on.
Mr Whyld said: ‘Going back through them is interesting because you see things in a different way a year later.
More...
‘At the time it was just about getting the news pictures out, getting them out quickly, telling the story and trying to predict where the next riot would be.
‘As time goes on you go through things with a different eye and look for more subtle things.
‘At the time there was very limited time to look through the pictures, sometimes you were editing them round the corner from where the riots were happening, where you could get your laptop stolen.
Two firefighters stand small against the huge fire ball which engulfed a carpet shop following an arson attack on the first night of the riots
Riot police standing dangerously close to the flames talk desperately on their radio as the carpet shop burns to the ground around them
Even in the shadow of the flames and in front of police a rioter in the background grabs at a burning object, as the huge blaze destroys the Carpet Right store on the first night of the riots.
Firefighters are protected by riot police as the try in vain to tackle the burning building. Many stunned onlookers described the frightening scenes as 'like the Blitz'
Marching riot police are forced to dodge burning cars as they attempt to regain control of the streets of London
‘Or you send them very quickly and you go to bed and get up and go straight back to work.’
One picture shows a man who lived next door to the carpet shop, looking out of his window with news coverage of the riots on the television in the background, watching flames consuming the building.
‘He is obviously wondering “am I safer out there or in here?” The flames were lapping up against the building,’ Mr Whyld said.
Another shot shows police officers grabbing what time they could to do paperwork, sitting in a line on a wall.
Since the riots, the Government has pledged to reduce bureaucracy to get more police out on the streets.
Other previously unreleased shots show rioters with their faces covered, throwing missiles at the police, as well as firefighters tackling huge blazes.
Vicious youths covering their faces throw objects at police during the first night of the summer riots, in Tottenham, London
Thugs who have used supermarket trollies to create a barrier between them and riot police aggressively launch objects at them
Youths hold what appears to be rocks and stones to throw at police who desperately try to control the escalating situation
A violent rioter throws a heavy object directly at police who shield themselves with riot equipment, standing just metres away
Another shows a looter with his head and shoulders through the front window of a ransacked shop.
Mr Whyld said: ‘At first it was a protest and then the story changed to looting, that became one of the biggest aspects of it.
‘It was a protest that got out of hand, and then turned into something very different.
‘Even that first night there was looting, people were taking advantage of it, but obviously as the days progressed more and more people got involved and it had nothing to do with the original protest whatsoever.’
At times journalists found themselves in danger as rioters turned on them.
‘I saw a lot of photographers get their cameras stolen and getting beaten up and needing hospital treatment. There was a lot of that going on,’ he said.
‘It was just a case of trying to avoid it as much as possible.
Riot police are forced to snatch a few minutes to sit on a wall and fill out paperwork after the first night of the summer riots in Tottenham, London
A looter covering their face with a hoody climbs in through the window of a newsagent in Hackney, London, which is already being raided
The streets of London look more akin to a war zone as police on horseback walk through the capital in the midst of smoke and damaged buildings
‘Some of the pictures that I took at the very beginning were from my mobile phone, so that I wouldn't get into a situation that I couldn't control.’
The original unrest began in Tottenham, two days after the shooting of Mark Duggan on August 4.
What began as a peaceful protest against his killing spiralled into arson, looting and rioting.
The following night the unrest spread to other parts of the capital, and in the following days across the UK to cities including Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and Manchester.
In London thousands of extra police officers were drafted in from 30 forces to flood the streets.
This tactic worked and eventually tensions in the capital cooled.
Commenters said the thugs had lootedLadbrokes and JD Sports shop and other eye-witnesses suggested that the police were trying to prevent rioters from trashing Hackney’s Town Hall. Meanwhile, a man was seen on a tube train dressed in black and carrying a copper rod as he headed into the riots.
An eyewitness said: ‘One man on the tube was dressed all in black – he even had gloves on – and he had a big copper rod tucked inside his jumper. At Bethnal Green it dropped onto the floor and lots of people looked quite alarmed and got off at the stop.’
Josefinehedlund tweeted: ‘Kids smashing up police cars outside Tesco in Hackney Central Getting closer to my neighbour, scary.’
Another user, Matthew Paul Balman tweeted: 'Just seen some live pics of London and the riots, wtf is going on. Thugs throwing chairs and facing off with the police.'
Twitter user antoinette213 wrote: 'This is a madness. I'm seeing these youths live just opening up some truck and emptying it.'
Many warned their friends and family to stay inside and pleaded with people not to incite violence on the website.
Much of the violence seems to be centred around Mare Street, a main road that runs near London Fields.
Detaining suspects: Police in Tottenham try to contain people found inside a vandalised store in Tottenham Retail Park. Violence and looting spread across London, from Tottenham in the north to Brixton in the south
User Vicky Simister described how youths were arming themselves: 'big truck being unloaded by hoodies on Mare St - taking wood sticks out and throwing at police.'
In Stratford, workers were told to barricade their shops and offices and go home early as the Met feared the most violent confrontations yet in the wake of the shooting of suspected gangster Mark Duggan.
Twitter was ablaze with rallying calls for further looting and clashes with police, following two nights in which businesses were destroyed by rampaging gangs of masked youths.
As hundreds of extra officers were drafted into the capital, shops closed their doors early and staff were sent home amid fears of further damage.
Stratford Shopping Centre in east London was closed after police warned managers that the area could turn into a potential flashpoint.
Centre manager Andrew Norton said: 'People's safety is absolutely paramount, which is why we've closed early. The whole situation's really quite bizarre.'
Nearby, the Stratford Picturehouse cinema told audiences to go home and closed its doors hours early.
The sprawling Westfield shopping centre in west London also added to the list of businesses fearing attacks tonight and built barriers around its entrance.
This afternoon, police said 215 people had been arrested since the violence began in Tottenham on Saturday night, and 25 people charged.
Haringey Council also said the damage to roads and pavements in Tottenham on Saturday night was in the region of £227,000.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Tottenham MP David Lammy (left) meet local residents and business people including jeweller Steve Moore (far right) who lost his shop after rioting broke out in Tottenham on Saturday
Crash and carry: Footage shows suspected looters carrying goods from the JD Sports store at Tottenham Hale Retail Park. Police admitted they were too stretched to prevent widespread theft from vandalised shops
More than 100 arrests: Police detain two women outside a damaged Currys store in Brixton. Widespread rioting and looting took place across many parts of London
This afternoon Chief Superintendent Nick Ephgrave, Lambeth Police borough commander, confirmed that three non-fatal stabbings took place in the borough during yesterday's riots.
He said he had visited an injured police office in hospital and added that 'his face was covered in stitches'.
A Scotland Yard homicide team has been brought in to investigate the riots, according to Mr Ephgrave, speaking at a meeting with Lambeth Council and community leaders at Lambeth Town Hall.
said the extra resources and the 'full use of all their technology' would allow police to catch those responsible for the violence and looting last night.
He said the police have 'more than 30 prisoners' following the disturbances.
A Section 60 order is in place in the area today, allowing police to stop anyone they suspect may commit violent acts.
Mr Ephgrave said much of the violence was 'pre-planned' using 'PIN-protected messaging serviced' such as Blackberry messenger that are 'difficult to access' by police.
He said police are also looking at Facebook and Twitter for evidence of any criminal planning.
Council leader Steve Reed and many community leaders present at the meeting expressed concerns over police resources.
Lee Jasper, chair of Brixton Splash, a community event which took place yesterday, said he knew police had extra resources in the area and that either 'they weren't enough or they weren't deployed properly'.
He said he was at the Currys store where looting took place for an hour from 10.45pm last night before police arrived.
Mr Ephgrave said the outbreaks of rioting across London meant a lot of the reserves at his disposal were deployed to other areas at the time.
The alert came as plans for the Notting Hill Carnival were thrown into jeopardy amid fears that the festival could be a focal point to violence,
The carnival, which attracts up to two million people each year, could see the kind of violent clashes with police that erupted in Tottenham on Saturday evening.
There are concerns that the West Indian event over the August bank holiday could even be cancelled in an attempt to prevent more riots.
Police leaders have been meeting community leaders in a desperate bid to calm tensions over the clashes which were sparked by the shooting of 'gangster' Mark Duggan last week.
The developments came as Home Secretary Theresa May cut short her summer holiday to fly home and deal with the crisis.
Protection: A guard dog keeps watch inside a shop damaged during the disturbances in Enfield
Aftermath: A fire crew puts out a burning car in Enfield. Emergency services were stretched as violence, looting and arson attacks sprang up around London
Scotland Yard has also promised more officers on the streets of London tonight as the Met prepares for a third night of violence.
In a bid to quell the unrest, police have warned that Twitter users could face arrest for inciting violence.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh confirmed officers were looking at the website as part of investigations into widespread looting and rioting.
Clashes between masked rioters and police, vandalism and looting continued into the early hours of this morning as questions were raised about the shooting of suspected gangster Mark Duggan on Thursday.
TODAY'S POLL
Should David Cameron cut short his holiday to deal with the riots and economy?
No
Yes
VOTE
POLL RESULTS
All polls Click to view yesterday's poll results
In Enfield, North London, a mob of 200 anarchists last night smashed their way into shops and lobbed concrete slabs at police cars following Saturday’s riot in nearby Tottenham.
A jewellery store, a McDonald's and a Tesco were set upon in Enfield, while in Brixton, South London, hundreds of teenagers looted a Foot Locker store before setting it on fire, requiring six engines to battle the blaze at 1.30am.
Police reported that more than 100 arrests took place across the capital overnight.
Commander Christine Jones, said: 'Officers responding to sporadic disorder in a number of boroughs made more than 100 arrests throughout last night and early this morning.
'This is in addition to the 61 arrests made on Saturday night and Sunday morning.'
Three London fire engines also came under attack during the second night of rioting in London. One engine from Brixton station being targeted while actually fighting a blaze started by looters raiding the Foot Locker store.
Two others from West Norwood and Edmonton were on their way to blazes when they were set upon. Windows were smashed as mobs of looters hurled bricks and other missiles at the engines.
She said there had been 16 charges in relation to offences including burglary, knives, theft and violent disorder.
Seventeen people have been bailed and one has been cautioned. One person was sectioned under the Mental Health Act, 11 are awaiting CPS advice and 15 are ongoing inquiries, she added.
She went on: 'Officers are shocked at the outrageous level of violence directed against them. At least nine officers were injured overnight in addition to the 26 injured on Saturday night.
'We will not tolerate this disgraceful violence. The investigation continues to bring these criminals to justice.'
And, in an interview on Radio 4 today, deputy assistant commissioner Kavanagh said: 'I can be very assured that there will be even more officers out there, even more committed and braver than they have been so far, to make sure London stays as safe as possible.'
He added that there were three times as many officers on duty on Sunday as there were on Saturday, and he promised that even more would be deployed tonight - brought in from forces outside the Met.
Claudia Webbe, who helped set up the Operation Trident's black-on black gun crime unit, told BBC’s Today Programme that she condemned the criminals seeking to exploit the death ‘for their own personal gain’ as ‘clearly wrong’. However she sought to differentiate between the looters and those furious with police over Mr Duggan’s killing.
Returning: Home Secretary Theresa May, left, has cut short her holiday to deal with the crisis but David Cameron has remained abroad
She said: ‘There was an element of people who were intent on criminality, violence and looting. There were also however an element of people that were seeking to, in the attacks on police, there were some who were playing out tensions that had arisen before, such as their feelings on stop and search.
‘It appeared to me that those who were attacking the police directly, those who were not carrying out the criminal and violent attacks and the looting, there were clearly those who were attacking the police directly, and anything they regarded as an ''institution'', who were venting out, I believe, issues to do with inequality, decades of unemployment, poverty, stop and search being over-policed, and they were venting that.'
A teenager today told how she received a BlackBerry message telling her to bring knives and hammers to riot in Enfield.
The 17-year-old girl, known only as Alice, said: 'It was all planned. On BlackBerry Messenger there was a broadcast to everyone, which goes to everyone on someone's contact list, saying: ''Everyone in Edmonton, Wood Green, Enfield, everyone in North London, link up at Enfield Town station at 4.00 sharp. Just bring knives, trollies, hammers, the works. Re-broadcast this''.'
Last night there were also reports of disturbances Walthamstow and Islington in North London, and sporadic clashes with police in Elephant and Castle in South London and Shepherd's Bush in the west.
Three police officers were hospitalised after they were struck by a fast-moving vehicle while trying to make arrests after looting in Chingford Mount, Waltham Forest.
And in a dramatic development, the killing of father-of-four Mark Duggan, who was shot dead on Thursday by armed officers, came under fresh scrutiny.
There were claims that a bullet found lodged in a police radio was a force-issue bullet, meaning Mr Duggan had not fired on officers as police suggested.
Meanwhile, Scotland Yard came under criticism after it admitted that it had not anticipated the violence, despite community warnings of a backlash over the shooting of Duggan.
And the government was under fire for not having a senior minister in London to visibly take charge of the situation. So far Lynne Featherstone, a junior Home Office minister, has been the highest-ranking government spokeswoman to appear on Television over the riots.
Home Secretary Theresa May, who has been speaking to Met chiefs and who has made a number of press-release statements, is reportedly flying back to the UK from holidays to meet police chiefs face-to-face.
Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, is back from holiday today and is the most senior minister in London.
In other developments in the wake of some of the worst riots in Britain for years:
The riots started on Saturday night in an area of North London with a particularly resonant history of violence. In 1985 Broadwater Farm estate, where Mr Duggan hailed from, was the scene of devastating riots when a police officer was hacked to death.
No entry: Police cordon off an area in Enfield on Sunday night as they try to contain the civil unrest and protect shops, homes and civilians
Destroyed: These two cars, both belonging to the police, sit in the middle of Tottenham High Road after the rioters set them alight
Investigation: Two officers examine the shell of one car as a group of passengers on a bus view the scene
Shops under attack: A member of staff surveys the scene of a break-in at a Sainsburys supermarket in Enfield, on Sunday night
Over the weekend, the streets of Tottenham were once again ablaze as crowds of 500 marauding yobs set fire to police cars, a double decker bus and buildings and shops.
Twenty-six police officers were injured and eight were taken to hospital in the clashes after petrol bombs, bricks and bottles were hurled at them. One suffered serious head injuries when he was hit in the face with a brick. Another was speared with a scaffold pole in the stomach, causing serious internal injuries.
Under cover of darkness, masked thugs looted trolley loads of luxury goods including plasma TVs and stereo systems. Teenagers and adults turned up in cars and filled their boots with stolen items from a retail park, unimpeded by police.
Children as young as seven took part in the violence according to witness David Akinsanya, 46, who told The Sun: 'I saw kids as young as seven or eight running up the street with their faces covered.'
Last night 55 people had been arrested for offences including violent disorder, burglary and theft. The riots erupted hours after a protest vigil demanding ‘justice’ over the shooting of 29-year-old Duggan by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s elite firearms squad.
Crowd: Large groups of youths gathered throughout Enfield town centre, with G. Mantella, a family owned jewellers broken in to and looted
New outbreak: Youths congregated on Enfield High Street yesterday afternoon, attacking the HMV store, while also using concrete blocks to damage this police car
Waiting game: A team of riot officers were engaged in a stand-off with the youths on a street in Enfield town centre
The shooting provoked fury as internet rumours spread suggesting the father-of-four had been executed after he put his gun on the ground.
Met Commander Adrian Hanstock said: ‘Last night’s disorder and violence in Tottenham was completely unacceptable.
‘There was no indication that the protest would deteriorate into the levels of criminal and violent disorder that we saw.
‘We believe that certain elements, who were not involved with the vigil, took the opportunity to commit disorder and physically attack police officers, verbally abuse fire brigade personnel and destroy vehicles and buildings.’
He said that the officers concentrated on stopping violence which took precedence over looting.
Local MP David Lammy said the community ‘had the heart ripped out of it’ by ‘mindless, mindless people’.
The outbreak of violence has raised fears about whether the Metropolitan Police would have adequate resources to cope during the Olympics if there were a similar attack during the 2012 Games.
Last night Scotland Yard had to call in reinforcements from Thames Valley, Essex, Surrey, City of London and Kent police after 200 thugs smashed their way into shops in Enfield, north London.
Police said three officers were injured in a separate incident at Brixton, south London.
Throughout last night and the early hours of this morning emergency services were dealing with disturbances across London as fresh bouts of rioting and looting broke out.
Police officers were being deployed to respond to 'copycat criminal activity' across the capital, with disturbances erupting in several boroughs in north,
south and east London, including reports of trouble in Brixton, Enfield, Walthamstow and Islington.
Three officers were taken to hospital after being hit by a fast-moving vehicle at 12.45am, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.
The officers had been in the process of making arrests in Chingford Mount, Waltham Forest, after a shop was looted by youths.
'Two officers are believed to have superficial injuries and the other has an injury to his knee,' the spokesman said.
What happened here? A young boy seems lost in thought as he reacts to the burnt out metal of a car
Damping down: Firemen yesterday continued to douse the buildings set alight during riots
Wrecked: Two police cars used as a road block were set alight during the troubles
Debris: Bricks from the previous night's riots litter Tottenham High Road
Union Point: The Tottenham landmark that survived the Blitz... reduced to a smouldering shell in one night by the rioters
Night and day: The Carpet Right store in Tottenham High Road burns out of control during the riot and, the following day, is a burned-out wreck
The Carpet Right building is a landmark in Tottenham, one of the more historic and recognisable blocks in the area.
The building's official name is Union Point and it stands on a prominent corner site on Tottenham High Street, just a stone's throw away from White Hart Lane - the home ground of football team Tottenham Hotspur.
Built in 1930 by the London Co-operative Society (LCS), the Art Deco style of Union Point is said to typify the Co-operative Movement between the two world wars.
The grand three-storey building was embellished with LCS motifs along each wall, and above the entrance the words 'LCS 1930' were carved in two-foot-high lettering in stone.
The building was an LCS department store serving Tottenham before it was bought by Allied Carpets.
With the Co-op store closing years ago, the upper floors of the building were sold by Allied Carpets to the Metropolitan Housing Trust, which converted them into 26 one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats.
The properties were put on sale to local people as part of a shared ownership housing scheme, with priority given to Haringey Council tenants.
Inside the property there were two stairways to access the flats and there was also a communal roof terrace for residents' use.
The store section of the building was later taken over by Carpet Right three years ago when Allied Carpets moved to a nearby retail park in Bowes Park - also affected by the riots.
Sheila Park, from Historic Tottenham, told MailOnline: ‘I’m really upset by what’s happened. The Co-op building was an interesting old building and can never be replaced. I was involved in agreeing to convert the upper floors into flats and now every person living there has lost their home.’
She added: ‘The building opposite at 639 Tottenham High Street was also set fire. It is 100 years old and was the old Gas Light and Coke Company. It really is dreadful.’
Tory peer Lord Harris of Peckham, who founded the Carpet Right chain in 1988, said he was shocked and angered that the building had been targeted.
He told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: 'I know they had protests against the police, and I can understand that. What I can't understand is... they smashed up the buildings and took stock out of the shops. That's not protesting, that's thieving.'
He spoke of his sorrow for the innocent victims, some of whom lived above the Carpet Right showroom, left homeless by the weekend's violence and pledged to help them. He said: 'My real sympathies are with all those people in the flats above me who are working class - and I don't mean that rudely - that have got nothing. They have only got the clothes they are in. I want to try to help them... give them money, or help them with clothes. I feel very, very sorry for them.'
Former glory: The Union Point building in a photo from February this year. A former Co-op store, the Art Deco building had been renovated as a retail store and apartments
1 comment:
NW Cars provide affordable Heathrow airport taxi service from Heathrow Airport to City Centre.
Regards
Minicab in Harlesden
Post a Comment