British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday announced the deployment of 16,000 police officers on the streets of the UK capital to prevent riots and looting on the fourth consecutive night.
Mr Cameron cut short his Tuscany holiday and returned to London Tuesday morning after violence spread almost all over London Monday night and “copycat” riots erupted in Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds and Nottinghamshire.
The three days of rioting resulted in the first casualty after a 26-year-old, who had been found in Croydon on Monday night with a gunshot wound in his head, was pronounced dead in hospital on Tuesday. An elderly man has also been hospitalised after clashing with rioters in Ealing on Monday night. There has been no update on his condition as yet. Violence, which erupted in north London on Saturday night over police shooting of Tottenham resident Mark Duggan, escalated and spread to Salford in Greater Manchester, Wolverhamp-ton and West Bromwich. Fresh riots broke out in Birmingham as the police struggled to contain mobs, mostly formed of young people, as they looted shops and businesses and set properties ablaze.
Scotland Yard said Tuesday afternoon that 563 arrests had been made across London since Saturday and from 4 pm on Monday, the police arrested 310 people in various parts of the capital.
Till now, 105 individuals have been charged, the majority for burglary. More than 30 people charged in connection with the riots have already appeared in court. Thirty-two cases have been heard in court and 18 people were remanded in custody.
Mr Cameron, who attended the meeting of the “Cobra” committee for dealing with emergencies, also announced that Parliament would be recalled for a day on Thursday. “Parliament will be recalled for a day on Thursday so I can make a statement to Parliament and we can hold a debate and we are all able to stand together in condemnation of these crimes and also to stand together in determination to rebuild these communities,” Mr Cameron said.
The Met police indicated Tuesday that it would consider use of baton force to quell groups of rioters. Deputy assistant commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said use of plastic ammunition would be “considered carefully.”
The Met police, which is getting manpower support from 30 other police forces, has cancelled all leave and overtime to get full manpower on the streets of London. “All leave within the Metropolitan Police has been cancelled. There will be aid coming from police forces up and down the country and we will do everything necessary to strengthen and assist those police forces that are meeting this disorder,” Mr Cameron said.
Till now, 48 police officers have been injured after having been attacked with bricks, bottles, planks of wood and other missiles. Their injuries range from fractured bones, serious head injuries, concussion, cuts and sprains, and injured eyes from smashed and thrown glass. Some police officers were hit by motor vehicles.
Shops and businesses closed early across London on Tuesday after rumours started circulating about eruption of fresh violence across parts of city. In some cases, the police advised shop owners to shut down early.
London mayor Boris Johnson, who too cut short his holiday to return to the riot-hit city, was heckled in Clapham, which saw hours of sustained looting and rioting by gangs of young people.
He was questioned about his decision not to return from his holiday earlier, the absence of police in the area after looting started and asked to give explanation about the violence in the affluent neighbourhood.
“I came as fast as I could,” Mr Johnson said as he was surrounded by angry residents. “I know there are questions about the police response and about police numbers. I understand that, and we are certainly going to be dealing with those,” he said.
Home secretary Theresa May condemned the violence and looting by gangs across the country. “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,” she said.
The inquest into the death of 29-year-old Mark Duggan, father of four, started Tuesday. The coroner said he was killed by a single bullet shot on his chest. His family issued a statement that they were distressed by the violence. “We want to establish the truth about Mark’s death. The disorder going on has nothing to do with finding out what happened to Mark,” the family said in a statement.
As violence spiralled out of control in London, the West Midlands police in Birmingham arrested more than 100 people for violence and looting in the city, where the Indian and England cricket teams are based for the third Test match due to begin on Wednesday.
Met police acting commissioner Tim Godwin again urged parents to make sure they knew where their children were and to keep them off the streets.
Labour leader Ed Miliband returned to London, cutting short his holiday and toured areas hit by violence like Mr Cameron, home secretary Theresa May and mayor Boris Johnson.