UK rioting and looting
Live coverage as violence spreads throughout London and to other UK cities.
- Guardian's Paul Lewis reporting riot police have only just arrived at Pembury Estate in Hackney
- Mounted riot police, police with dogs readying to charge about 200 youths on a road close to an estate off Mare St, Hackney, where cars burncomment by reuters_Stefano via twitter 8/8/2011 7:29:24 PM
- Telegraph's Heidi Blake reports from Hackney:
"Riot police were forced to turn and flee as gangs of youths wearing hoods masks and balaclavas swarmed up the sidestreets hurling flaming logs, bricks and bottles." 
Police officers in riot gear walk past a burnt out car on a street in Hackney, east London August 8, 2011. REUTERS/Toby Melville
- Here's the latest statement from West Midlands police, currently dealing with disturbances in the city centre.
"West Midlands Police are aware of some disorder in Birmingham city centre.
Several premises in the centre have been attacked with some shop windows smashed and property stolen in various locations.
ACC Sharon Rowe said: "We will not tolerate mindless violence and damage anywhere in the West Midlands and are working to ensure that the offenders are identified and caught as soon as possible.
"A policing operation is in place with extra officers in Birmingham to restore calm in the city centre, and protect local people and businesses.
"Our communities have made it clear to us that they do not want this kind of violence in their city and we will continue to work with them to bring anybody who commits acts of crime or anti-social behaviour to justice as soon as possible." 
Via @leannebaines81 Croydon high street yfrog.com
by Julie Mollins via Yfrog 8/8/2011 7:34:45 PM- On the phone constantly to my wife. My son is sleeping soundly while rioting is ravaging the streets nearby. West Croydon #LondonRiotscomment by LawrencePearce via twitter 8/8/2011 7:35:07 PM
- Just outside ikea Wembley and lots of police sirens now, staff seem worried bout getting home, anyone tell me how close it is? #londonriotscomment by Lara_Jayne_ via twitter 8/8/2011 7:35:21 PM
- Home Secretary Theresa May tells Sky News the riots are "sheer criminality" and vowed those responsible will face justice.
- A number of stations across London closed now for safety reasons. Here's the latest list from National Rail:
"c2c
* Barking
Chiltern Railways
* Harrow-on-the-Hill
First Capital Connect & Southeastern
* Peckham Rye
London Overground
* Barking
* Hackney Central
* West Croydon
National Express East Anglia
* Bethnal Green
Southern
* South Bermondsey
* Queens Road Peckham
* West Croydon
* Peckham Rye
Customers may use London Buses and London Underground services on all reasonable routes (which may also be affected by these problems)." - Home Secretary May adds:
"These people will be brought to justice, they will be made to face the consequences of their actions and I call on all members of local communities to work with the police constructively." - The Croydon Guardian is running live coverage of the riots in their part of the city. Their reporter Hannah Williamson writes:
"Looters have raided the Argos store in Church Street.
Thieves broke into the catalogue store by smashing through the back doors in the loading bay.
Evidence of what they have taken litters the area and includes sat navs, portable cd player and camcorders.
The alarm is still ringing as hooded youths try to enter the town centre which police have sealed off.
The Maplin store next to West Croydon station has also been vandalized.
Windows were smashed but the building already had it's shutters down." www.croydonguardian.co.uk - Via @michael_peavoy #Riots #london disgusting leaflet found in Dalston. yfrog.com/h07mxcyzj Bad News.
- Riots on our doorstep..whats wrong with these people?...Too much time on their hands..Bring back NATIONAL SERVICE!!..
- Reports of trouble in Clapham Junction. Commuters not being allowed to leave the station. #riotscomment by skynewsgatherer via twitter 8/8/2011 7:41:55 PM
- Via @georgefitzmusic the scene in bethnal green #londonriots twitpic.com/632ult
- People ripping off tree branches to attack police. This is all Three Sisters Church #Hackneycomment by PaulLewis via twitter 8/8/2011 7:43:04 PM
Police now battling riot police with sticks and bricks. Hand-to-hand fighting. #Hackney #Pembury yfrog.com
comment by PaulLewis via twitter 8/8/2011 7:43:10 PM- Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone is speaking to the BBC. He says the police are stretched to the limit and are doing well, considering London hasn't seen violence like this for some time.
- The government doesn't understand the challenges facing some young people, Livingstone says.
- Police cuts would be a catastrophic mistake, the former mayor of London adds.
- via @kosso Interactive London riots timeline www.channel4.com
- Just seen 8 riot vans drive past us in Peckham -a worried looking family peering through their door.Can hear screams & shouting #londonriotscomment by jane__bradley via twitter 8/8/2011 7:46:46 PM
- Meanwhile other people are smiling or laughing as they carry their shopping along the back streets...comment by jane__bradley via twitter 8/8/2011 7:46:52 PM
Pic of first police line as you drive into Peckham yfrog.com
comment by jane__bradley via twitter 8/8/2011 7:46:58 PM- @Mazi tweets: "Seems like there are riots at Clapham Junction. People not being allowed to leave station."
- Ken Livingstone says the goverenment has no real Interest in the average person.
- Livingstone says he has walked these streets recently and spoken to young people, and argues that the government doesn't understand the "bleak" future facing young people.
- Reports from the Sky News helicopter of heavy smoke coming from Croydon area.comment by skynewsgatherer via twitter 8/8/2011 7:50:05 PM
- Grateful there's nothing going on in Greenwich. Hartford is calming down now. Police are leaving as rioters have moved on.
- Telegraph's Victoria Ward in Peckham reports:
"I am with a young Spanish woman who lives behind the Greggs bakery which is on fire in Peckham. She is in tears, saying that a gang burgled her house while the road was being evacuated. She now can't get access as it's all blocked off by riot police." - How well equipped/trained prepared are the police for this sort of thing? How long will they let this go on - spread - before clamping down to prevent it further spreading through other parts of the country.
- Hackney MP Diane Abbott, a former candidate for the Labour leadership, says "the looting has to stop."
- via Russia Today @RT_com [VIDEO] More London riots footage: Cars, shops on fire in Lewisham, #Hackney t.co #news #londonriots
- Riots spread by word of mouth, and this is what's happened here, Abbott says.
- BBC News confirms via Downing Street that Cameron will not be ending his holiday. Do you think the PM should return?
- Croydon Guardian reporter Peter Truman writes: "A double decker bus is ablaze near Reeves Corner with a large gathering of youths gathered around watching it burn." www.croydonguardian.co.uk
- @Stephanie Ditta Yes the PM should return ....
- Sky News showing live images of #Croydon - another building is on fire #LondonRiotscomment by JonathanHaynes via twitter 8/8/2011 7:55:46 PM
- More of what Hackney MP Diane Abbott had to say about the riots: "It's appalling. These people are trashing their own community. Who would invest here, who would create jobs? I'm calling on parents and families to urge these people to come home. The looting has to stop."
- Well done @HackneyAbbott. Doing exactly what an MP should be doing by getting out there, amongst the constituents. #londonriotscomment by gingio via twitter 8/8/2011 7:57:19 PM
- Telegraph's Security Correspondent Duncan Gardham describes running battles between police and fifty youths on Goulton Road, Hackney.
The youths pelted police with bricks and stones, before charging, pushing a burning wheelie bin towards officers. Police were then counter-attacking. - Hooded youths close to an estate in Hackney have just walked past me with a box full of petrol bombs...! myloc.meby reuters_Stefano via twitter 8/8/2011 7:59:11 PM
Police officers in riot gear block a road near a burning car on a street in Hackney, east London August 8, 2011. Youths hurled missiles at police in northeast London on Monday as violence broke out in the British capital for a third night. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor
- BBC is now showing aerial footage of buildings on fire in Croydon, a huge furniture shop that has apparently being targets by looters.
- Recent Liveblogs
- Who's Blogging
-
Reuters_RossChainey
Reuters_YeshaShah
Reuters_Jillian Kitchener
Reuters_Helen Cook
Julie Mollins
Stephanie Ditta
josh.turk
Jeremy Schultz
Katharine Herrup
natalie.armstrong
Reuters_IreneKuan
Shadia Ismail
Terrine Friday
Reuters: Mark Kolmar
anthony.derosa
North Korea fires short-range missiles for two days in a row
SEOUL - North Korea fired a short-range missile from its east coast on Sunday, a day after launching three of these missiles, a South Korean news agency said, ignoring calls for restraint from Western powers.
- Netanyahu takes aim at weapons "leakage" in Syria
- Upmarket Pakistan district votes again as Imran Khan decries killing
- Afghanistan's Karzai seeks Indian military aid amid tensions with Pakistan
- Egyptian police block Israel border crossing in fury at kidnapping - sources
- Tunisian police clash with Islamists over banned rally
- India's weakened Congress wondering if early elections will help
- Iran hangs two spies working for Israel and U.S. - report
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
