100 arrests after London rioting

Disturbances erupted in several boroughs in north, south and east London, with reports of trouble in Brixton, Enfield, Walthamstow and Islington.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said at least nine officers were injured, including three who were taken to hospital after being hit by a fast-moving vehicle at 12.45am. The officers had been in the process of making arrests in Chingford Mount, Waltham Forest, after a shop was looted by youths.

Police said 16 people have been charged with offences in relation to the disorder, including burglary, theft, and violent disorder.

Metropolitan Police Commander Christine Jones said officers were “shocked” at the level of violence directed towards them.

She said: “Officers responding to sporadic disorder in a number of boroughs made more than 100 arrests throughout last night and early this morning.

“This is in addition to the 61 arrests made on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

“So far there have been 16 charges, 11 awaiting CPS advice, 17 bailed, one caution, one sectioned under the Mental Health Act and there are 15 ongoing inquiries.

“Officers are shocked at the outrageous level of violence directed against them. At least nine officers were injured overnight in addition to the 26 injured on Saturday night.

“We will not tolerate this disgraceful violence. The investigation continues to bring these criminals to justice.”

A fight broke out last night when rival gangs attended King’s College Hospital after two victims of minor stabbings were admitted, police said.

The hospital drafted in extra security for the rest of the night and officers remained on scene dealing with the initial stabbings, the spokesman added.

Six fire engines were dispatched to deal with a blaze at a Foot Locker shop in Brixton, south London, and witnesses saw riot police clash with looters at a Currys store nearby.

The fresh violence came after a peaceful protest in Tottenham, north London, on Saturday, which followed the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, on Thursday.

The looting across London was carried out by “small and mobile” groups, a police spokesman said.

He said officers had been attacked and a number of police vehicles damaged.

As violence spread, around 50 youths gathered in Oxford Circus, central London, and caused damage to property.

Elsewhere, more than 30 youths, many in masks, vandalised and looted shops in Walthamstow Central, including BHS.

The windscreen of a police vehicle was smashed after groups caused a disturbance in Islington, and goods were stolen from a Tesco store in Ponders End.

Earlier, police said ``several'' arrests had been made after trouble flared in Enfield.

Shops in Enfield Town and the A10 retail park were vandalised and looted, and there were reports of two vehicles being set on fire.

Mounted police were seen chasing groups of masked youths, some carrying sticks, away from stores, while lines of riot police readied themselves for trouble.

Leader of Enfield Council Doug Taylor said there was “simply no place” for this sort of action, adding: “I am appalled by the mindless violence we witnessed in Enfield last night.

“There is no justification for such behaviour which was an attack on Enfield, its people and its businesses. It is important now that the whole community pulls together, remains calm and moves forward.”

Police later said the disorder in Enfield town centre and surrounding areas had been contained, with the High Street cordoned off and officers remaining in the area in the early hours of today.

Speaking this morning, Home Secretary Theresa May said: ``Last night, police officers again put themselves in harm's way to protect Londoners and their property.

“Those responsible for the violence and looting will be made to face the consequences of their actions. Many have been arrested and further arrests will be made.

“Londoners have made clear that there are no excuses for violence, and I call on all members of local communities to work constructively with the police to help them bring these criminals to justice.”

The family of Mr Duggan said they ``are not condoning'' the riots and looting that rocked their local area.

Mr Duggan’s brother Shaun Hall told Sky News: “It seems to be the press who are generally saying that it is linked to my brother. Okay, some questions were supposed to have been answered, they weren’t answered, therefore there was a domino effect from that, we don’t condone that at all.

“I know people are frustrated, they’re angry out there at the moment, but I would say please try and hold it down. Please don’t make this about my brother’s life, he was a good man.”

He said that the family is “devastated” at his death, and dismissed as “utter rubbish” the allegations that he had shot at police.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which has launched an inquiry into the shooting on Thursday, said they had met with Mr Duggan’s relatives and members of the community.

Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: “Mark Duggan’s family and the community in Tottenham need answers about what happened to him – and we will investigate independently, thoroughly and robustly so that we can give them answers.”

Meanwhile, the Guardian quoted a source as saying that initial tests suggested a bullet found lodged in a police radio after Mr Duggan’s death was police issue.

The IPCC said it would not comment on this until all ballistics and forensic tests are complete.

A major investigation was launched, codenamed Operation Withern, followed the unrest in Tottenham on Saturday.

The riots were roundly condemned as the shocked community surveyed the devastation caused.

Community and political leaders were swift to criticise the rioting, looting and arson that swept through the area after the mood at the protest turned nasty.

Buildings and vehicles including a double-decker bus and two police cars were engulfed in flames, residents were forced to flee their burning homes, and looters went on the rampage in Tottenham Hale Retail Park half a mile away, smashing shop windows and grabbing whatever they could.

Downing Street labelled the rioting “utterly unacceptable”, while local MP David Lammy said the community “had the heart ripped out of it” by “mindless people”, many of whom had come from outside Tottenham to cause trouble.

Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, paid tribute to the officers who had faced “extreme lawlessness and danger”.

London Mayor Boris Johnson is away on holiday and has no plans to return to the capital in the wake of the riots, his spokeswoman confirmed, because he has “full confidence” in the police.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has returned to the country after his holiday and is now the most senior politician in the country.