“London on lockdown and Cameron flies home: Police face gangs armed with petrol bombs and poles on THIRD night of riots and cynical looting
Violence in Hackney, Peckham, Deptford, Lewisham, Clapham and Croydon this evening Prime Minister David Cameron is returning from Italy tonight to chair COBRA meeeting
Met's acting commissioner Tim Godwin urged parents to get their children off the streetsPolice in Birmingham say several shops have been attacked300 officers drafted in from 12 other forces to bring unrest under control 215 people arrested since Saturday night – including one aged 11 – and 25 charged
Violence erupted in broad daylight this afternoon as rioters surrounded police vans, looted lorries and targeted shops in a series of attacks across London. The violence began in Hackney when a mob of hooded youths began hurling missiles at officers and setting fire to bins and cars. Minutes later similar scenes started in Lewisham, spreading to Peckham, Deptford, Croydon in south London this evening. A furniture store is currently alight in Croydon as firefighters battle to bring it under control. Disturbances have also been reported in Harrow, in the north west of the city and in Clapham in the south, where shops are being looted. This evening Downing Street announced Prime Minister David Cameron is returning home from his holiday in Italy tonight to chair a Cobra meeting tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, police in Birmingham said several shops have been attacked, near to the Bullring shopping centre, and property stolen as youths rampage around the city centre.
