Riot-hit UK branded tourist danger zone

Published on Tuesday 9 August 2011 17:20

FOREIGN governments have warned their citizens that visiting Britain is dangerous, as mobs continued looting and rioting across the UK last night.

The German foreign ministry urged people to "exercise special caution, to immediately pull back if confronted with any signs of disturbance".

The Latvian government told citizens to avoid travelling to parts of Britain hit by riots, and in Sweden, Denmark and Finland, travellers were warned to be careful.

Much of London shut down early yesterday, as thousands of extra police officers were deployed after three nights of rioting that forced Prime Minister David Cameron to recall parliament.

Elsewhere in the country, fresh outbreaks of violence occurred with the worst hit cities being Manchester and Birmingham. In Manchester masked youths broke into about 16 shops, looting televisions, video games and photography equipment. A branch of Miss Selfridge was looted then set ablaze. At least seven people have been arrested.

A gang of up to 100 youths also broke into the Arndale Centre, smashing open the glass entrance with a stone slab, and began looting.

Canning Circus Police Station in Nottingham was firebombed by a gang of 30 to 40 men. No injuries were reported and police made eight arrests.

In Birmingham, a stand-off bet- ween two large groups of marauding youths and police began in the city centre at about 5:30pm. There was sporadic looting and a car was set alight. In West Bromwich, near Birmingham, 200 youths took position behind a barricade in a stand-off with scores of officers. Two cars were set on fire.

In Salford, stones were thrown at police in riot gear and at least one vehicle was set on fire.

Riots: Last night's unrest

• Where Tuesday night's trouble erupted

• Three men killed 'while guarding Birmingham community'

• Scottish police deployed to stem unrest

• Manchester: Over 100 arrested after unrest

• Fire brigade: Rain could help fight against riots

Police made 80 arrests across the West Midlands area including 20 rioters in Wolverhampton after many shops were damaged.

Glen Barkworth, manager of the Arndale Centre in Manchester, said: "To see the public having to flee in terror as the youths ran through the area is a sight I don't want to see again."

Hundreds of riot police tried to disperse crowds at Piccadilly Gardens, leading to running battles with masked youths. Petrol bombs and missles were thrown at police in Liverpool.

The Metropolitan Police was considering the use of plastic bullets for the first time on the streets of mainland Britain. More than 16,000 police officers, more than five times the usual number, were deployed in London last night as the force tried to reclaim swathes of the city from rampaging mobs. All police leave has been cancelled.

After a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee, Mr Cameron, who had flown back from his holiday in Italy to take charge of the crisis, warned rioters: "You will feel the full force of the law."

Another Cobra meeting is scheduled to take place today.

In Enfield, north London, a group of up to 70 youths patrolled the streets in an attempt to ward off possible looters.

One "vigilante" said: "We're sickened by the police doing nothing." The youths said they would carry out citizens' arrests before handing suspected looters over to the police.

In Southhall, dozens of Sikh men stood guard outside a temple and patrolled the streets.

In Canning Town, east London, bricks were thrown at police and local residents confronted youths intent on causing trouble.

A 16-year-old from Glasgow is due to appear at the city's Sheriff Court today following his arrest after a message was posted on Facebook allegedly inciting others to commit acts of disorder. He has been charged with breach of the peace.

England's friendly football match against the Netherlands at Wembley, scheduled for tonight, was cancelled to free police officers for riot duty.

Steve Kavanagh, the Met's deputy assistant commissioner, said firearms officers had access to plastic bullets, and added that they might be used. "If we need to, we will do so," he said.

Scotland Yard said 111 officers had been wounded in the riots, along with five police dogs, as police came under attack from youths using bricks, bottles, planks of wood and even motor vehicles.

One Whitehall source was quoted as saying that there were no current plans to involve the armed forces to help stem the rioting.

"It's being handled as a civil matter, Home Office-led rather than the Ministry of Defence. There are no plans to deploy (the armed forces]," the source said.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said a 26-year-old man who was found shot in a car in Croydon, south London, amid rioting in the town, had died in hospital.

In other developments, three people were being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after a police officer was injured by a car in Wembley, north-west London, while trying to stop suspected looters.

The violence first broke out on Saturday in Tottenham, where protesters had been demonstrating against the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old father of four. The inquest into his death yesterday heard that he died from a single bullet wound.

A statement from his family said they were deeply distressed by the disorder affecting communities across England.

It read: "We want to establish the truth about Mark's death. The family want everyone to know that the disorder going on has nothing to do with finding out what happened to Mark.

"They also want everyone to know that they are deeply distressed by the disorder affecting so many communities across the country."

London mayor Boris Johnson faced a barrage of criticism from residents as he toured the devastation in Clapham yesterday with Home Secretary Theresa May.

Mr Johnson, who flew back from his summer holiday as the violence escalated across the capital, said: "I want to say to every-body who runs a shop or owns a business here how very sorry I am for the loss and the damage you have suffered."