Scotland Yard is expected to have spent more on policing the riots than it spent on policing all major public order events in the capital last year, officials said today.

Magistrates have rejected accusations from the leader of Britain’s prison governors that there has been a “feeding frenzy” in sentencing after the recent riots.

Britain's prison population reached a record high today as officials said they were developing contingency plans to manage the unprecedented situation caused by hundreds of people being jailed over the riots.