WHO ever said nothing ever happens in August? The riots in Britain have caused bewilderment and outrage in equal measure. The image of London has been severely damaged. But before the media turns to its next big thing, there are a few points worth bearing in mind about what we have seen on our TV screens.

A HUMAN river of anarchy flowed through London. It swelled from a blood-stained taxi in Tottenham and surged into a torrent which tore through the inner city, burst into affluent outer suburbs and briefly threatened to smash across the West End.