Rioting spirals out of control again

Rioters were rampaging across Britain’s capital again tonight as politicians and police chiefs tried desperately to curb the “sheer criminality”.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May condemned chaotic scenes while Scotland Yard beefed up its presence before looting and violence spiralled out of control for a third consecutive night.

As thousands of yobs took to the streets across the London districts including Hackney, Lewisham and Peckham, Scotland Yard’s most senior officer called on parents to contact their children and urged the public to clear London’s streets.

The fresh wave of violence also spread north to central Birmingham, with police saying shop windows had been smashed and looting had taken place.

At least 215 people have been arrested and 25 charged following the riots across London over the last two days.

Acting Scotland Yard Commissioner Tim Godwin attacked the “gratuitous” violence and appealed directly to families.

He said: “I do urge now that parents start contacting their children and asking where their children are.

“There are far too many spectators who are getting in the way of the police operation to tackle criminal thuggery and burglary.

“I’m imploring that people within those communities actually start clearing the streets to enable my police officers to deal with the criminality that’s occurring in front of them.”

Mrs May said: “I think this is about sheer criminality. That is what we have seen on the streets. The violence we’ve seen, the looting we’ve seen, the thuggery we’ve seen – this is sheer criminality, and let’s make no bones about it.

“That’s why I say that these people will be brought to justice, they will be made to face the consequences of their actions and I call on all members of local communities to work with the police constructively to help the police to bring these criminals to justice.”

A total of 153 arrests were made overnight and early this morning after boroughs in north, south and east London fell victim to the first round of copycat rampages following trouble in Tottenham on Saturday.

As skirmishes broke out again between police and hooded youths, UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said “big scars” would be left from consecutive nights of rioting.

Scenes of violence in Hackney, Lewisham and Peckham echoed those in other areas of the capital over the past two nights, with skirmishes between gangs of youths and police, reportedly prompted by a stop and search incident earlier today.

In Hackney, rioters, many wearing hoods and masks, were confronted by police lines spanning the streets, occasionally moving forward to push the groups back.

Officers in riot gear tried to control the situation, coming under fire from objects including chairs and pieces of wood.

At one point several people broke into the back of a stationary lorry, pulling its contents out on to the road, with some hurling it at police and others using it to smash windows of a bus.

South of the river in Peckham, teams of riot officers were seen charging at fleeing troublemakers after a major fire was started at a shop adjoining a Greggs bakery.

A nearby bus was also set on fire while TV footage showed a trail of bins and an abandoned vehicle ablaze in Lewisham.

Croydon, Barnet, Streatham, Clapham and Islington were among a number of areas where shops were being advised to close early amid warnings they would be targeted.

A sign on the door of Tesco on Islington Green read: “Sorry, we have been closed by the police until further notice.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said there would be a third more officers on the ground than there were last night, which was three times more than the previous night.

He said the force was getting police officers to Hackney “in numbers” to respond to violence in the area.

Opportunist rioters over the past two nights are believed to be aged from their mid-teens upwards, he added.

Last night’s wave of looting was “disgusting behaviour, ripping apart people’s livelihoods and businesses”, he said as he vowed to deliver “speedy justice” for Londoners in the wake of the violence.

Mr Kavanagh also apologised to the family of shooting victim Mark Duggan - whose death sparked the original violence – for not managing their “needs” better as he warned that rioters “will not be tolerated”.

He added: “Let me make it clear that people who are using current events as an excuse or cover to break the law, steal, attack police officers and cause fear to Londoners will not be tolerated by the vast majority of Londoners and us.

“Our investigation, which is massive in scope, is continuing. We are liaising with businesses and communities across London, including at a borough level, to keep people up to date with what we are doing.”

Mr Clegg, who returned from holiday this morning, condemned the violence earlier as “completely unacceptable”.