I've covered the war in Libya and it looks like Croydon

The Scotsman foreign correspondent reports from a new front-line closer to home

RESIDENTS in Croydon looked on in shock at the damage caused by the wave of looting and arson that hit overnight.

Behind the police cordon smouldered the remains of one of the town's few landmarks - the House of Reeves furniture store had been open since 1867. The old stone building housed a family business that had survived two world wars, but was burnt to tatters by arsonists on Monday night.

Devastated, but smartly dressed in blazers and ties the Reeves family wandered around the crumbled building of exposed brickwork and masonry. Wet, ash-sodden carpets squelched underfoot, and the smell of smoke hung in the air all the way along the tramlines to the stop that was named after the historic building.

One man was shot in his car in the area on Monday night and died from his injuries yesterday, making him the first fatality from three days of unrest in London. Police said he had travelled to Croydon with some friends, and they got into a row with another group of people, which ended in a car chase involving three vehicles.

Two men were arrested at the scene on suspicion of handling stolen goods. Police from Operation Trident, which specialises in gun crime within the black community, have now launched a murder investigation.

Dozens of shops and businesses were ransacked. Local businessmen report that the rioters stole bicycles, raided local jewellery stores and rampaged through electrical shops. They struck Argos as well as local supermarkets. Many shops in Church Street, where a number had been hit, were closed.

"They stole the tills, leaving coins strewn across the car park, they burned the canteen and tried to get the safe out of the office," said Anjali Moony, 30, an employee of the Lidl supermarket that was attacked.

A wedding dress shop became one of the targets. Yesterday, its windows were smashed and many of the wedding dresses gone. "The young girls were standing, drunk on the street outside, directing the boys on what to steal," said one resident.

A mother, Jadie Monroe, from nearby Sutton, recalled being terrified as she and her young daughter moved to her mother's home she said was in a safer area. "My little girl was petrified. I didn't feel safe, as my home backs on to a boys' school that I thought could be a target. There were gangs of teenagers on the road, their faces covered in scarves. We walked to my mum's via the back streets."

Councillor Mike Fisher, the leader of Croydon Council, said: "What we saw last night was the destruction of our communities by a mindless minority that the majority of people hold in complete and utter contempt."

The scene was reminiscent of my recent trips to Egypt and Libya reporting on the Arab Spring. Shops stood shuttered from early afternoon, and local businesses boarded their windows up with plywood. Residents rushed along the streets gathering supplies from the few open grocery stores. "I want to get home before nightfall, I don't feel safe on the streets any more," said one resident.

Nestled among the modern chains, just along the high street from Reeves furniture, stands another locally run family business. Tony Gents Hair Stylist has been a part of Croydon's city centre for the past 40 years. Son of the owner Richey Raccagna stood on a ladder bashing nails into the plywood cover for the windows. "It is just a precaution, but we are very worried."

"It is a bunch of young mor-ons, running around causing havoc. They feel hard done by, but this is no excuse, there are thousands of people who live tough lives and don't smash up people's property," said Roger Hill, 67. "It makes me want to cry. My son is a policeman, the other night he was nearly stabbed by a youth behind a bus stop. They are sending him to Lewisham tonight, this isn't a safe area. I am worried."Anger was palpable among Croydon's residents. "Don't you just want to catch hold of them and shoot them? Bring the army in," said one man. "I think for visual impact it is what they should do. These youths need to see proper men."

Others residents blamed the worsening economic climate for the riots. "It is frustration. That is evident. At the moment there is no outlet for the youths to express themselves. University fees are too high, benefits have been cut, and no jobs are being offered to them. You can't take away the safety blanket and not replace it with anything else," said a woman who gave her name as Joy, a teacher in Croydon.

"The atmosphere has changed. This has been brewing for a long time. I don't think this government understands what is going on on the streets. Youths want to work, but there are no apprenticeships any more, factories have been sent abroad, they are closing schools, pensions are being changed. Even the police in the streets today are frustrated as their jobs are going."