Violence and looting spreads - Sky News

6:53am UK, Tuesday August 09, 2011

Violence and looting breaks out across London - as unrest also hits Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.

There have been disturbances in Hackney in east London, as well as Lewisham, Peckham, Croydon and Clapham Junction in the south, and Ealing in the west. Trouble was also reported in Camden in north London.

More than 1,700 extra police officers were deployed across the capital overnight as violent scenes broke out.

At least 400 people have now been arrested.

Police in Croydon are investigating a "non-fatal" shooting.

Officers have ordered all London football clubs to call off matches as disorder spreads.

In Ealing, gangs of youths started fires in the street and vandalised shops, according to eyewitnesses.

The trouble flared near Ealing Broadway tube station with groups of around 30 masked rioters congregating on Haven Green.

Clapham Junction also fell victim to rioting, with rows of shops on Lavender Hill attacked.

Sky reporter Mark Stone filmed stores being damaged and said he could not see any police officers.

He said people smashed the windows of a Ladbrokes bookmakers, a Wimpey fast food restaurant and a hairdressers.

He said: "I cannot see one policeman at all. They are dealing with problems elsewhere.

"This is quite extraordinary. Every shop they can find they are looting."

Prime Minister David Cameron has cut his holiday short and returned to London in the wake of the unrest and is chairing a meeting with the Government's emergency committee Cobra.

And Britain's most senior police officer has called on parents to contact their children as he urged the public to clear London's streets.

Acting Scotland Yard Commissioner Tim Godwin criticised another wave of "gratuitous" violence as he appealed directly to families to help officers bring the situation under control.

He said: "I do urge now that parents start contacting their children and asking where their children are.

"There are far too many spectators who are getting in the way of the police operation to tackle criminal thuggery and burglary."

In Hackney, shops were attacked, and there were skirmishes as youths threw objects including chairs and pieces of wood at officers in riot gear.

Cars and bins were set alight, and contents from the bins were used as missiles by the offenders.

At one point, several people broke into the back of a stationary lorry.

They pulled its contents out onto the road, and some hurled it at police, while others used it to smash windows of a parked bus.

Pictures from Sky's helicopter showed a police line, running at youths trying to disperse them from the main shopping area.

The trouble was reportedly prompted by a stop and search incident earlier in the day.

Police have also come under attack from youths in Lewisham town centre, with petrol bombs being thrown at officers. Shops have been damaged and looted.

And several buildings were on fire in Croydon, including a family business that had been in the town for 100 years which was completely destroyed.

The Reeves furniture shop was engulfed with flames, with nearby homes evacuated.

In Birmingham, several premises were attacked, shop windows smashed and property stolen in various locations. West Midlands Police said officers had made a number of arrests.

Police patrols were being stepped up across the capital to try to prevent further unrest after rioting and looting in several parts of London over the weekend.

Many officers have voluntarily abandoned scheduled leave to help deal with the situation, said the Metropolitan Police.

Sky's Martin Brunt said 300 officers from outside the Met were being brought in to assist the force as its tries to tackle the unrest.

Brunt also said the Met has admitted having to use under-trained riot police to cope with the violence.

This is because annual two-day training courses have been suspended for Met riot officers to deal with the demand for resources.

The violence began on Saturday night in Tottenham, where officers were attacked, and two police cars and a bus were set on fire as well as buildings.

The unrest was said to have been sparked by the police shooting of local man Mark Duggan on Thursday.

The shooting is being investigated by the police watchdog and the rioting occurred after a peaceful protest was held in response to Mr Duggan's death.