In what is turning out to be Britain’s worst civil unrest in decades, riots in London entered the fourth day with no imminent signs of a comedown. The riots were sparked off in Tottenham when armed police shot dead Mark Duggan, 29, a father of four, in disputed circumstances on August 4. Violence, clashes with police and sporadic looting were also reported from Croydon, Birmingham, Battersea, Lewisham, Kilburn, Liverpool and Camden as groups of young people pelted police officers with bottles and fireworks and set ablaze buildings, cars and garbage dumps. Police said that rioters were using phone text messages and social media to carry out lootings, adding that the rioting had changed from a “local issue to organized criminality”. While some commentators contend that the riots point to the deep social unease in the capital’s poorest areas, police and politicians have maintained that much of the violence is purely opportunistic. Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May said the violence was totally unacceptable and announced that 215 people have been arrested and 27 charged so far. About a hundred of those arrested are under 21, while the youngest person charged is an 11-year-old boy.
Firefighters battle a large fire that broke out in shops and residential properties in Croydon, London August 9. Sporadic looting and clashes with police continued for the third day in parts of the British capital after the killing of 29-year-old father of four Mark Duggan by armed police on August 4
Fire destroys a Sony warehouse in Enfield in north London August 9. Sony Corp said on Tuesday that the warehouse in north London has caught fire, damaging compact disks, DVDs and other content products. A Sony spokeswoman said no injuries were reported from the fire in Enfield, also the site of scattered incidents on Sunday evening as riots spread from the deprived London neighbourhood of Tottenham over the fatal shooting of a man by armed police.
Cars burn on a street in Ealing, Looting by groups of hooded youths spread to Ealing in west London and Camden in the north of the British capital late on Monday, the third night of violence which police have blamed on criminal thugs.
Police officers in riot gear block a road near a burning car on a street in Hackney, east London August 8. Youths hurled bottles and firecrackers at police in northeast London on Monday as violence broke out in the British capital for a third night.
A masked man walks past a burning car outside a store in Hackney on August 8, 2011 in London. Pockets of rioting and looting continues to take place in various parts of London prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and then in Brixton on Sunday night. Disturbances broke out late on Saturday night in Tottenham and the surrounding area on August 4.
Residents flee Clarence Road in Hackney August 8. Rioting and looting continues in various boroughs of London and Birmingham, prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and Brixton on Sunday night. Prime Minister David Cameron and his family are due to return home from their summer holiday in Tuscany, Italy to respond to the rioting.
A youth collects clothing looted from a store in Hackney as a car smoulders on August 8 in London, England. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Riot police walk along Clarence Road in Hackney, London.
A resident films a police officer on his mobile phone during disturbances in Hackney on August 8.
Riot police charge past burning buildings on a residential street in Croydon, south London. Rioting and looting spread across London on Monday
A resident films a police officer on his mobile phone during disturbances in Hackney on August 8.
Firefighters battle a large fire that broke out in shops and residential properties in Croydon, London August 9. Sporadic looting and clashes with police continued for the third day in parts of the British capital after the killing of 29-year-old father of four Mark Duggan by armed police on August 4
Fire destroys a Sony warehouse in Enfield in north London August 9. Sony Corp said on Tuesday that the warehouse in north London has caught fire, damaging compact disks, DVDs and other content products. A Sony spokeswoman said no injuries were reported from the fire in Enfield, also the site of scattered incidents on Sunday evening as riots spread from the deprived London neighbourhood of Tottenham over the fatal shooting of a man by armed police.
Cars burn on a street in Ealing, Looting by groups of hooded youths spread to Ealing in west London and Camden in the north of the British capital late on Monday, the third night of violence which police have blamed on criminal thugs.
Police officers in riot gear block a road near a burning car on a street in Hackney, east London August 8. Youths hurled bottles and firecrackers at police in northeast London on Monday as violence broke out in the British capital for a third night.
A masked man walks past a burning car outside a store in Hackney on August 8, 2011 in London. Pockets of rioting and looting continues to take place in various parts of London prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and then in Brixton on Sunday night. Disturbances broke out late on Saturday night in Tottenham and the surrounding area on August 4.
Residents flee Clarence Road in Hackney August 8. Rioting and looting continues in various boroughs of London and Birmingham, prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and Brixton on Sunday night. Prime Minister David Cameron and his family are due to return home from their summer holiday in Tuscany, Italy to respond to the rioting.
A youth collects clothing looted from a store in Hackney as a car smoulders on August 8 in London, England. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
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