Fresh riots erupted in London yesterday barely a day after police in the city managed to control weekend rioting that left dozens of police officers and civilians injured and property either destroyed or looted.
Rioters, wearing hoods, went on a rampage yesterday in Hackney area smashing shop windows and looting premises along the high street.
They also smashed police cars and attacked police officers, throwing rocks and wooden poles and metal bars at them.
It appeared to be a continuation of the violence that began on Saturday night in Tottenham area of North London where 35 police officers were injured and more than 200 people arrested.
Although politicians and police are blaming criminal thugs for the violence, many people linked it to local tensions and rising financial hardships partly caused by deep budget cuts by the government.
Both Home Secretary Theresa May and London Mayor Boris Johnson have cut short their holidays as a result of the riots.
The mayor is expected back in London today while the home secretary had already returned and met with police chiefs yesterday to find ways of tackling the crisis.
The riots followed the shooting to death of a 29-year-old-man, Mark Duggan, by the police last Thursday after a reported exchange between him and the police on patrol.
A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron who had earlier described the rioting as “utterly unacceptable” said: “There is no justification for the aggression the police and the public faced or for the damage to property”.
The home secretary said at least 215 people have been arrested and 25 people charged over the violence.
“The riots in Tottenham on Saturday night and the subsequent disturbances in other parts of London are totally unacceptable,” she added.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said there were significant number of police on the streets to control the situation.
“When we have large numbers of criminals intent on that type of violence, we can only do that, get lots of officers there quickly and try to protect local businesses and local people,” he said.
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