ENGLISH police flooded the streets last night to ensure weekend drinking does not reignite the rioting that swept across London and other cities this week, shocking Britons and sullying the country’s image a year before it hosts the Olympics.

The death toll from the violent disorder that swept across England rose today after a man attacked by rioters as he attempted to stamp out a fire in west London died in hospital.

POLICE began raiding houses across London yesterday to make arrests over the riots that rocked the British capital, with more than 100 warrants issued already, a senior Scotland Yard officer said.

Vigilante groups set up to protect shops and homes from rioters are hampering the policing operation, a senior UK officer has warned.