The rioting in London continues. What started as a peaceful protest in the Tottenham neighbourhood in the north of the city over the death of a man at the hands of the police, that ended up a riot, has now spread all over Britain.
Riots, looting and arson are happening all over London, from Hackney in the east end to Ealing (quite a posh area) in the west, to Brixton, Clapham and Croydon in the south.
It's now spread as far as my home town of Liverpool. Parts of Toxteth (the scene of huge riots in 1981) are seeing riots, I've heard of a shop being looted and cars being burned only a mile or so from where I live. I can hear sirens and police helicopters in the distance.
Some shocking reports on the BBC of buildings being engulfed in flames, one of them in Clapham might have had people inside. A 140-year-old family business in Croydon has been set ablaze and destroyed.
Disturbances reported from Birmingham in the English midlands.
Live updates from the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
Guardian liveblog:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
5:00 PM PT: UPDATE-Incidents reported in Salford, near Manchester
5:00 PM PT: UPDATE-Incidents rumoured in Leeds, Yorkshire and Burnley, Lancashire
5:03 PM PT: UPDATE- http://www.youtube.com/...
Video of incident in Toxteth, Liverpool.
5:28 PM PT: UPDATE-More buildings set alight in Croydon, London.
Rumours of trouble in Manchester in northern England.
Rumours that trouble is edging towards the centre of Liverpool.
5:29 PM PT: UPDATE-Merseyside police warning people to stay away from centre of Liverpool. 300 kids rioting.
5:32 PM PT: UPDATE-Police in London unable to cope due to dispersed nature of incidents and too many spectators in the way. Police urging parents to contact their children.
5:46 PM PT: UPDATE-BBC reporting 87 arrests in Birmingham
5:50 PM PT: UPDATE-Rumours of incidents in Bristol in south west England
5:54 PM PT: UPDATE-Video of police being overwhelmed in Woolwich, London