Gang life ... insiders paint a miserable and dangerous existence

WITH last week's riots across Britain and an alarming rate of teenage murders, gangs are striking fear into the heart of our communities.

But a chilling new police report exposes the hopelessness of life for the youths who get sucked into their savage grip.

It reveals gang "soldiers" endure a miserable existence of posturing and danger as they scramble to rake in money for their mob "elders".

Their so-called reward is to be treated with disdain by their gang bosses and made to continually prove themselves to raise their "ranking" within the group.

Here, ANTHONY FRANCE reveals the six disgusting categories "youngers" blindly follow on their way to a life of gang misery, as detailed in the two-year study Growing Against Gangs And Violence.
1. Violence
THE Growing Against Gangs And Violence report - written by Inspector Allen Davis of the Met Police and Professor James Densley of the Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, USA - focused on 12 London gangs.

They interviewed 69 gang members and 129 "informants" as well as friends, partners and relatives of members. They also spoke to teachers and solicitors to get a feel for what it was to live life as a gangster.


Weapons ... gang try to maintain their violent reputation
There are estimated to be 169 gangs in London - along with hundreds more in "crime centres" such as Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Liverpool.
The report, revealed in the respected Police Review magazine, shows gangsters need to clock up "ratings" in six "categories" to earn respect and move up the chain of command.

The first of these categories is violence. The more aggressive an attack, the more a gang soldier is "rewarded" with "better weapons".

The report states that, as a result, gang members seek to "develop and maintain a reputation for violence" by preying on "the weak" or "staging confrontations" which they then film and post on YouTube to enhance their "mad and bad reputations".

2. Silence
SNITCHING - or "snaking" - on others is prohibited and if gang soldiers are caught it is "punishable by extreme violence".

The report adds: "Gangs encourage silence because it confounds police investigations and guarantees protection from prosecution or conviction.

"However, gang members are aware of their vulnerability to infiltration and, as such, do not trust each other anywhere near as much as they would like others to believe.

"There is no honour among thieves."

3. Grind, stack and swagger
GANG soldiers are encouraged to "grind and stack" - or "work hard" and "generate piles of cash quickly".

Once they have done that, they must also show "swagger" by blowing their money on flashy disposable status symbols.

The study says cash is "easily earned and spent" but the big money is filtered up to gang leaders who then dole it out to soldiers.


Cash ... the amount members earn is dependent on ranking
The amount they earn is dependent on their ranking. The report states: "Gangs essentially operate a pyramid scheme in which money flows upwards to the more senior gang members. Monetary rewards are inversely proportional to offending risks.
"Gang 'elders' direct the criminal activity of gang 'youngers' but typically only reward them in kind or with ratings as opposed to with an equal share of the 'gwop' (money)."

It adds: "To achieve the highest social standing possible, gang youths must also spend money - conspicuous consumption enables 'players' to keep score of the sums supposedly being earned."

In a grim assessment of gang life, the report adds: "Life on the road thus becomes an exercise in keeping up appearances or, in street parlance, demonstrating 'swagger'.

"Youths come to define themselves by what they purchase - alcohol and drugs, cars, consumer electronics, designer clothing, firearms, jewellery, nights out, even women.

"Gang members live financially in the present because they do not expect to live long enough to enjoy their money in the future."

4. Sex
MEANINGLESS sexual conquests dominate the conversations of feckless gang soldiers - and the more girls they sleep with, the more "ratings" they achieve.


'Ratings' ... consent to sex is often disregarded
The report explains: "Gang members have a very casual outlook, often complete disregard, to issues of consent.
"Setting girls up to perform sexual acts, via the internet or text message, is generally agreed to be something that 'boys do' in gangs."

It adds: "Girls do not get ratings by what they do, but rather who they 'link' - have casual sex - with.

"Girls subject themselves to such mistreatment because of the protection, money and status they supposedly receive by association with gang boys.

"Within gangs, the chances of girls earning such rewards in their own right are slim and so they are completely dependent upon the boys.

"The result is the institution of extremely unequal power relationships within gangs in which girls are seen as disposable and thus become extremely vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse."

5. Language
USING a distinctive "street language" that confuses and excludes adults is a key way to get ahead in the gang underworld.


Soldiers are also referred to by their menacing "tag" - nickname - and can up their standing by "promoting their brand".

The report states: "Street language denigrates many young people for trying to achieve something in mainstream society.

"The term 'neek' (a word from 'nerd' and 'geek'), for instance, is widely used as a derogatory phrase for anyone trying to achieve academic success."

The study says "tags" are often handed down by gang leaders and are part of the hierarchical structure of the gang.

It adds: "Those that fail to live up to their name or comply with those that bestowed the name upon them lose respect.

"How you promote your brand is through validation of how bad you are.

"Gang members thus use social media to jostle for position and stay relevant.

"Social networking sites are employed to boast and taunt. Criminal acts are filmed and posted on YouTube for posterity. Music videos are crudely produced and distributed on MySpace to showcase verbal agility."

6. Posting on the strip
BEING a successful soldier involves putting in shifts to patrol your "territory" and watching out for the police.



A threatening presence on the street will be rewarded with promotion up the chain.
The report says: "A key feature of life in gangs is dutifully and punctually 'showing up' and 'posting on the strip'.

"Posting on the strip refers to time spent 'putting in work' on the 'frontline' of gang activity, from committing robberies and collecting debts, to delivering messages and giving early warning of police raids.

"Part of their role is to distract and obstruct, which can sap valuable police resources.

"Youths gain ratings by visibly patrolling and policing territorial boundaries, not least because the act of someone from a rival gang or postcode 'caught slipping' (encroaching upon their territory) is seen as an affront to the gang's power and reputation.

"Gang elders seek to 'quality-assure' their 'youngers' by observing, for example, whether or not they run or fight when under pressure."

 

New CCTV of the riots in Birmingham shows police officers being shot at,

New CCTV of the riots in Birmingham shows police officers being shot at, the West Midlands force has said.

The footage, which has been released by the police to encourage members of the public to come forward, shows a group in the Newtown area late on 9 August.

The group, all masked and all wearing black clothing, caused extensive damage at the Barton Arms pub.

Shots were also fired at the police helicopter and petrol bombs thrown at a marked police car, the force said.



The footage shows seemingly co-ordinated criminal behaviour with no regard for people's lives”

Chief Constable Chris Sims
Officers have started an attempted murder and arson investigation, and appealed for anyone with information about the attacks to contact them.

A police spokesman said a small amount of money was stolen from the pub, but the use of alcohol and petrol led police to believe that the intention was to start a fire.

Chief Constable Chris Sims said: "Releasing footage that is so disturbing in nature is an unusual step for us as a force, however, the potential for serious harm, or worse, in this incident has led us to this decision.

"Eleven shots were fired at unarmed officers to enable disorder to continue, whilst petrol bombs were also thrown at officers who initially attended the scene.

"This footage shows seemingly co-ordinated criminal behaviour with no regard for people's lives, whether it be through the setting of a fire, shooting at unarmed officers or shooting at the police helicopter.

"This investigation is being treated as attempted murder and arson, and I am only thankful that this is not a murder inquiry.

"This was not only police officers' lives that were put at risk, but also members of the public who may have been passing by.

"To date the public reaction to this operation has been overwhelming and we thank people for their continued support."

Controversy over harsh sentences in Britain

British courts have been accused of resorting to “rough justice” under government pressure, with judges and magistrates handing out unduly harsh sentences to young people involved in the recent riots after being reportedly advised to “tear up” normal sentencing guidelines when dealing with convicted rioters.

MPs and rights activists expressed concern over “naming and shaming” of young offenders and giving them long sentences as part of the Conservative-led coalition's crackdown on rioters.

Figures showed that the number of people remanded in custody after being charged with rioting offences was more than six times the usual rate.

In by far the most controversial case, two men were sentenced to four years each in jail for “inciting” disorder by posting messages on Facebook though nobody responded to their calls and no riot took place.

The families of Jordan Blackshaw (20) and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan ( 22) said they were “shocked” by the length of the sentences — the longest handed to any rioter so far — and would be appealing.

A spokesman for campaign group, the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “A four-year sentence would normally be associated with offences such as holding someone up at knife point, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault, and I'm not sure that the offence in question was really related to those types of offences.”

In other cases, a 23-year-old student was jailed for six months for stealing water bottles worth £3.50 from a supermarket, and a woman sent to prison for five months for receiving a pair of stolen shorts.

Critics pointed to wide disparities in sentences being handed out by different courts for the same offences suggesting that some were being “swayed” by government pressure to take a hardline approach.

This was “distorting” the justice system, they said arguing that courts should impose similar sentences “whether you are sentenced in Birmingham, Bournemouth or Bradford”.

The Ministry of Justice said the sentencing decisions were “based on the individual circumstances of each case and offender”.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who has been criticised for his “knee-jerk” reaction to the riots, said it was good that courts were sending out a “tough message”.

“It's up to the courts to make decisions about sentencing, but they've decided to send a tough message and it's very good that the courts feel able to do that,” he said.

 

What was the cause of the riots in the United Kingdom?

This wasn’t a political riot. There wasn’t anything political about it. It wasn’t even race-on-race rioting. It was races rioting together — rioting against the state, and for themselves.

Last week, renowned British historian David Starkey made this point to the BBC: The rioting was just shopping with violence. People sensed a moment of lawlessness and impunity.

But Starkey’s point was an observation, not an explanation. How did thousands of people in the land of the Magna Carta, the land of liberty and law, simply decide to become petty little gangsters?

Starkey referred to a speech made in 1968 by a politician named Enoch Powell, who had warned about unlimited immigration to the U.K., using the phrase “rivers of blood.” Starkey said the violence predicted by Powell had come true — but it wasn’t race versus race.

It was various races together. “The whites have become black,” he said. “A particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic gangster culture has become the fashion.” Uh-oh.

Hundreds of people immediately filed censorship complaints against Starkey and the BBC, and he was widely condemned as a racist.

Perhaps Starkey could have been more careful; he said white had become black — and then immediately became more precise, meaning they had accepted a particular segment of black culture, namely gangsta rap. But his meaning was perfectly clear — to anyone who has listened to rap music, with its glorification of violence and material excess, and who has seen the glamourization of that lifestyle move from ghettos into the cultural mainstream.

What grown men wear hoodies in public? Or their underwear up high and their pants down low? Those aren’t crimes, of course — maybe fashion crimes. But far more serious is the set of values that has been swallowed along with the cultural touchstones of fashion and diction.

Gangsta culture calls women “hos” and “bitches,” a crude misogyny with an undercurrent of a threat of violence. It glamourizes fighting, shooting and even dying in gangland warfare. It holds that the point of wealth is to squander it on bling and champagne.

For some folks, it’s a joke. Take Sacha Baron Cohen, the British comic who created a character called Ali G — a twenty-something white kid trying so hard to be a gangsta.

It was a laugh riot, so over the top it was hilarious. Except that thousands of British kids decided that’s who they wanted to be when they grew up.

As U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday, this isn’t just about mimicking some questionable role models. It has become a substitute moral code. Starkey accurately pointed out where it came from, and where it has gone.

When thousands of British thugs decide it’s not a fantasy anymore, but rather a code for living, that’s the time to blow the whistle.

Cameron’s right. This is a slow-motion moral collapse. And the solution is surely not banning rough music or comedy. But being free to talk about it openly, like David Starkey did, is part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Convicted rioters who went on the rampage in Britain will be set to work clearing up communities they devastated

Convicted rioters who went on the rampage in Britain will be set to work clearing up communities they devastated, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said on Tuesday. “In every single one of the communities affected there will be community payback schemes, riot payback schemes,” Clegg told reporters in London.
Rioters would be compelled to wear orange clothing so they are clearly visible “making up the damage done, repairing and improving the neighbourhoods affected,” he said.

The Liberal Democrat leader said people who took part in the four nights of violence might also be forced to face victims so they can see the human cost of their actions.

“I want them to face people like the woman I met on Monday last week in Tottenham, who said to me that she was still wearing the clothes... she was wearing when she ran out of her flat before her own flat was burned down,” said Clegg.

Violence first erupted in Tottenham, north London, on August 6 before spreading across England for four nights in the worst riots for decades.

He also announced an independent panel to hear from victims of the violence.

A man accused of torching a 140-year-old furniture shop during the riots made a defiant gesture in the dock yesterday.

Father-of-two Gordon Thompson, 33, saluted friends as he was remanded in custody and led to the cells.

He is alleged to have triggered the inferno which saw Reeves of Croydon, a family business that had survived two world wars, reduced to a charred ruin during last week's disturbances.

Images of the blazing store and a young woman leaping from an upper storey illustrated the wave of anarchy which swept across London for four days.

Painter and decorator Thompson, wearing a grey sweater and ripped jeans, was charged with two counts of arson, one of recklessly endangering life, two of burglary and one of violent disorder.

He spoke only to confirm his name and address at Croydon magistrates' court.

Thompson is also accused of stealing a lap-top computer from Reeves and 'various items' from the nearby House of Fraser department store.

He was remanded to Inner London Crown Court on August 22.

District Judge Robert Hunter said: 'Due to the gravity and serious nature of these offences bail is denied.'

The building Thompson is alleged to have set alight has since been demolished. The street on which it stood, Reeves Corner, was named after the business founded in Croydon in 1867.

At the same court, an airport worker who is five months pregnant admitted receiving £10,000 worth of stolen guitars and hair extensions looted last week.

Alicia Wilkinson's home was 'jam-packed with stolen goods' and amongst the haul were several expensive guitars and two plasma TVs

17-year-old was arrested after a police station was attacked and a patrol car set on fire in Washington, near Sunderland

A father broke down in tears as his teenage son was remanded in custody charged with one of the few incidents of trouble last week in north-east England.

The man was comforted by his wife as the 17-year-old was led away after being accused of violent disorder in which a police station in Washington, near Sunderland, was attacked and a patrol car set on fire.

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, looked distraught when bail was denied. His solicitor had said the teenager was "desperate" to see his own toddler son after spending the weekend in jail.

He will appear at Newcastle crown court on Friday alongside 18-year-old Jamie Joseph Henry Nolan, of Washington, who has been charged with violent disorder during the same incident.

The boy's father and his wife were told by Joan Green, chair of the bench at Sunderland magistrates court: "We really do appreciate you are here to support your son. Thank you for coming."

The teenager was one of 14 people arrested by Northumbria police after the incident early on Wednesday. Two petrol bombs did £12,000 worth of damage and an officer was injured by flying glass when he went to investigate.

 

Ed Miliband condemns David Starkey's race comment

Labour leader Ed Miliband has described historian David Starkey's comments on race as "disgusting and outrageous".

Mr Starkey told BBC2's Newsnight "whites have become black" after four days of rioting across England.

Mr Starkey added that "a particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture has become the fashion".

Mr Miliband said these were "racist comments, frankly, and there is no place for them in our society".

Speaking at Haverstock School, his former school in Chalk Farm in London, Mr Miliband also said it was "absolutely outrageous that someone in the 21st Century could be making that sort of comment".

He added: "There should be condemnation from every politician, from every political party of those sorts of comments."

Mr Starkey was being interviewed as part of a panel on BBC2's Newsnight on Friday when he made his controversial remarks.

He said: "I think what this week has shown is that profound changes have happened... there has been a profound cultural change. I have just been re-reading Enoch Powell, the 'rivers of blood' speech.

"His prophecy was absolutely right in one sense. The Tiber didn't foam with blood, but flames lambent wrapped around Tottenham, wrapped around Clapham.

"But it wasn't intercommunal violence. This was where he [Enoch Powell] was completely wrong.

'Foreign country'
'What has happened is that the substantial section of the chavs that you wrote about have become black. The whites have become black. A particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic gangster culture has become the fashion.

"Black and white, boy and girl operate in this language together. This language, which is wholly false, which is this Jamaican patois that's been intruded in England.

"This is why so many of us have this sense of literally a foreign country."

Mr Starkey added: "Listen to David Lammy [Labour MP for Tottenham] an archetypal successful black man.

"If you turn the screen off, so you were listening to him on radio, you would think he was white."

The two other authors who were also on the Newsnight panel on Friday with Mr Starkey have responded to his comments.

In the Guardian, Dreda Say Mitchell called Mr Starkey's views random and confused but says "most people will realise this".

While Owen Jones suggested in the New Statesman that Mr Starkey's comments could provoke dangerous repercussions.

However another author, Toby Young, has come to Mr Starkey's defence, blogging on the Daily Telegraph website that the historian was not being racist.

He said: "Starkey wasn't talking about black culture in general, but, as he was anxious to point out, a 'particular form' of black culture, i.e. 'the violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture' associated with Jamaican gangs and American rap music."

 

Boris Johnson in tough units call for young rioters

London Mayor Boris Johnson has called for rioting and looting youngsters to be sent to tough units specialising in dealing with unruly children.

Mr Johnson wants courts to be able to send those aged 11 to 15 convicted of being involved in disturbances to pupil referral units

18-year-old who was on bail over a gang MURDER was brought before court for looting.

The teenager is a talented footballer who is studying to be a football coach, the court heard.

It was claimed the man smashed his way into a Carphone Warehouse on August 9 with a gang of youths.

He also appeared for breaching an anti-social behaviour order in July, the prosecutor Manjit Mahal said.

Meanwhile officers investigating the looting and riots that swept London have arrested three teenagers after identifying them on CCTV, Scotland Yard said.

After police raids on four properties in Brixton, south London, officers arrested two 15-year-old boys and a 17-year-old male on suspicion of violent disorder, burglary and handling stolen goods.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said searches of their properties recovered clothing from JD Sports and H&M. The items are believed to have been taken during looting in Brixton on August 8.


The force has launched Operation Withern to investigate the disorder and violence, with around 500 officers working to bring offenders to justice.

Detective Inspector Spencer Barnett said: "If you know who was out there on the night or if you know where any stolen property is I would urge you to call the police so that we can take action.

"We want to reassure the residents of London that we will bring these offenders to justice and restore property to its rightful owners."

Supercop’ Bill Bratton to Target Gangs in England

Bill Bratton, the man credited with cleaning up crime in New York and Los Angeles, has been called on by David Cameron to help stamp out British gang violence, Bratton confirmed to ABC, saying that he hoped to work as a consultant for Scotland Yard. Cameron addressed parliament yesterday in the wake of the country's riots, arguing that violent young people have "blighted life on their estates with gang-on-gang murders and unprovoked attacks on innocent bystanders," while blaming them for coordinating "attacks on the police and the looting that has followed." Bratton, whose stat-based, "zero tolerance" policies have influenced police forces nationwide, said he would be "honored" to help.

Last week, Bratton told the Daily Beast that he would even consider leading Scotland Yard: "It’s one of the most prestigious positions in democratic policing in the world,” he said. "I don’t know that there’s a major police chief in America or Canada, or for that matter in the British Commonwealth, who, given the opportunity, would not consider it.”

 

UK Muslims Respond to Hate Crime with Prayer

The riots that ripped through several cities in England early this week resulted in the deaths of three young South Asian Muslim men in Birmingham on Wednesday. However, the local Muslim community decided to reply with prayer instead of more violence.

The three victims had been standing with other local residents in an effort to protect their property from looters when a car plowed through the line of defense.

An estimated 300 Muslim and Sikh men gathered near the site of the killings, according to Guardian News. Some of the men were seeking revenge. As the crowd considered their options, Tariq Jahan, whose son was among those dead, appealed to the crowd not to avenge the crime.

Mustafa Khalili, a Guardian editor, said the deaths had “heightened” tensions, and people began calling for revenge. The father appealed for calm several times since.

The crowd of Muslims and Sikhs decided not to hold a march, which could have led to further violence. Instead, the father and other members of the community led an ethnically-mixed candlelight vigil for the three young men killed. Khalili says the vigil was calm and that those who assembled reflected in their grief.

Basharat Nazir, a spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United Kingdom, said the father’s response was in “the true spirit of Islam.” He said the father’s calm demeanor let “common sense” prevail. He added Islam teaches in “the face of atrocity” and "excesses done against us, we should respond back in a thoughtful manner and should rely on the authorities to take the necessary measures.”

Police said they have a suspect in custody and have begun an investigation of possible murder charges.

Nasser Khan, vice president of the Ahmadiyya Association in the United Kingdom, stressed that the deaths were a tragic crime and that they should not be considered “sectarian or religious” incidents. “They were purely defending their communities and their country, which is what Islam teaches you.”

Khan said a handful of Muslim extremists might sometimes catch the media spotlight, but incidents like this prayer vigil should be publicly recognized.

Nazir said, “Responsible people within all the communities should stand up and hold hands and stand up against the extremists.” He said that those who bring violence to society should know that no community will tolerate people that create disorder in this world.

“It goes against all religious teachings. And the Muslim community should be no different to any other,” said Nazir.

 

The Man Whose Death Sparked The British Riots Was A Notorious Crime Lord's Nephew

Mark Duggan's shooting sparked some of the worst civil unrest the British public has seen in decades.
However, little is known about the man himself, except that he was a father of four, yet also was carrying an illegal gun.
There had been theories put forward that Duggan may have had serious links to the UK's drug underworld, but all were remained unconfirmed.
Now, new evidence seems to support this theory.
The Sun has confirmed that Duggan was the nephew of Desmond "Dessie" Noonan, the patriarch of the Noonan family that ran Manchester's underworld for 20 years.
Noonan's second wife Julie is the sister of Duggan's mum Pamela, and Noonan and Duggan were found to have had regular contact, even after Noonan and Julie divorced.
"They took Mark under their wing, they liked him, not just as a nephew, but as a mate," a source told The Sun.
Noonan had a long history of crime, but nationally famous in 2005 after appearing in a film by investigator Donal MacIntyre. In the documentary, he bragged "I've got a bigger army than the police. We have more guns than the police."
His appetite for violence was notorious, and eventually his downfall. In the middle of the filming for a follow up documentary, Noonan reportedly attacked a crack dealer and was murdered in retaliation.
Intriguingly, the Noonan family did not end there, with Desmond's brother Dominic a more charismatic, and openly gay gangster, taking over the reins.
Dominic was himself the subject of a followup film by MacIntyre, called "A Very British Gangster".

 

More time to quiz Birmingham hit-and-run deaths suspect

Police have been given more time to question a suspect over the suspected hit-and-run deaths of three men in Birmingham during Tuesday's disorder.

Haroon Jahan, 21, Shahzad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, died as they protected property in Winson Green.

West Midlands Police was granted a 12-hour extension, until 12:00 BST on Thursday, to question the 32-year-old held on suspicion of murder.

About 250 people attended a peaceful vigil on Dudley Road in Winson Green.

 

Last night disorder and looting rocked parts of Manchester particularly, but there was also trouble in Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Nottingham, Leicester and Liverpool

Last night disorder and looting rocked parts of Manchester particularly, but there was also trouble in Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Nottingham, Leicester and Liverpool - although police appeared to containing the unrest.

But in what was by far the most serious incident of the night three men, two of them brothers aged 30 and 31, died in Birmingham after they were hit by a car.

Today, the shocked father of the 21-year-old who was also killed told how he tried to save his son’s life as he lay in the street after the hit and run.

Tariq Jahan wept as he described how his hands and face were ‘covered in blood’ from his son Haroon, who died along with brothers Abdul Nasir, 31, and Shazad Ali, 30.

Pleading for an end to the violence he told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘I miss him dearly but two days from now the whole world will forget.’

West Midlands Police is also currently investigating reports that shots were fired at a police officer just outside Birmingham city centre, thought to be in the Aston area, according to Sky.

None of the violence has escalated in the same way as it did in London the previous night. The capital remained relatively calm last night.

So far, 109 people have been arrested in the West Midlands, 110 in Manchester and Salford, and 44 in and around Liverpool. In Bristol there were 19 arrests for offences, including having a balaclava in your possession.

There was also a large blaze at a derelict art college in Gloucester, with several smaller fires, while police also dealt with small groups who attacked them.

In Birmingham mobs rampaged through the city centre but unlike Saturday night, when shops were looted, the gangs mainly wreaked destruction, setting fire to cars and attempting to provoke police.

Rioters continually regrouped and dispersed, forcing police to chase them. Crowds of around 500 assembled in the city centre and the atmosphere quickly turned menacing.

During the disturbances the three men - the brothers and a friend - were involved in a hit-and-run incident in the Winson Green area as they were protecting their car wash business after the previous night's violence. They were taken to hospital but all subsequently died.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: 'The incident occurred just after 1am in Dudley Road. West Midlands Police have launched a murder inquiry, arrested one man in connection with the incident and recovered a vehicle from near the scene which will be examined by forensics experts.'

Police appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

A relative of one of the dead men victims told Sky News this morning: 'They were not in the way or blocking the road. The car swerved towards them.'

He said that the three had been on the street protecting their business - a car wash - after violence the previous night, when two cars swerved on to the pavement and struck them.

The three were taken to Birmingham City Hospital, where a large crowd gathered this morning at around 5.45am and police in riot gear stood guard at the main entrance, according to the BBC.

Elsewhere in the city, youths stormed Tesco, the post office, Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser and smoke poured from a flaming car blocking views of the city’s iconic Selfridges building.

 

The Met’s acting head denied his commanders were ordered to “watch and wait”, rather than intervene,

Many observers have been baffled by the performance of the Metropolitan Police during London’s recent riots, with officers seeming to stand by as homes were attacked and businesses destroyed. This was partly poor tactics, but it was also a function of a deeper malaise – a model of passive policing that has failed and must now be abandoned.
The Met’s acting head denied his commanders were ordered to “watch and wait”, rather than intervene, but it looked as if they had concerns that overrode the maintenance of order. Self-handicapping rules against baton rounds and tear gas were justified because their use would be seen as an “escalation” – a symbolic break with precedent, signalling that authorities had lost control. Why the symbolism of such weapons would be more troubling than footage of flaming buildings remains a mystery.

Five people were arrested overnight in Berkshire for criminal damage and burglary, police said.

Four people were arrested in Reading over an attempted burglary of a shop in Craddock Road and there was also a fire in London Road on Tuesday night.

In Slough, police made an arrest for criminal damage after dealing with a small group of people causing minor disorder in the town.

Police officers also supported the fire service at a blaze in the town.

Thames Valley Police has set up Twitter feeds to keep communities in the Reading and Slough areas updated.

Deputy Chief Constable Francis Habgood said: "We were prepared in advance to deal with any potential disturbances and officers responded quickly and effectively. Arrests were made and the groups involved were dispersed at an early stage.

"We would like to thank the community for working with us and providing information about potential incidents. We ask that communities continue to keep us informed of any further groups gathering or acting suspiciously so we can respond quickly."

He added: "I would also like to pay tribute to our Special Constabulary. More than 200 Specials made themselves available for duty yesterday and more than 100 of those were deployed across the force area."

On Monday night, youths wearing masks and balaclavas caused damage to cars in Reading in "copycat incidents" following riots in London, police said.

Essex Police arrest 19 people over disorder

Nineteen people have been arrested by police in Essex over incidents of disorder in the county on Tuesday night.

Thirteen people were questioned over a burglary in Buckhurst Hill and four were arrested over minor damage in Harlow town centre. All 17 were bailed.

Two male youths were arrested over damage to a police vehicle in Loughton.

Further to the 19 arrests, three teenagers are being held for comments made on social networking sites.

They are an 18-year-old man from Grays, a boy, 16, from South Ockendon and a 17-year-old youth from Clacton.

All are being questioned on suspicion of incitement to commit violent disorder following comments on Facebook and other sites encouraging others to meet and riot.

Stones thrown
Groups of people were involved in small isolated incidents in Basildon on Tuesday night, which are thought to have been sparked by messages on social networking sites, the council said.

A shop window was smashed at the Dreams Bed Superstore in Westgate Park but police managed to control the situation.

Minor damage was caused to a boat shed in Gloucester Park, where firefighters trying to deal with a fire were pelted with stones by youths.

Chief Insp Rachel Nolan, added: "Although there were several reports of disorder and damage in Basildon overnight, we had adequate police resources on the ground to deal with it effectively."

Police said ten 1.5 litre bottles of Vecchia Romagna brandy, which can only be bought in Italy, a 32" Sony flat screen television and a collection of 1,500 postage stamps were among items stolen during a burglary in Main Road, Frating, in Clacton.

 

Police release more CCTV suspect images

Police have released a second round of CCTV images of suspects in its investigation into rioting in London.

The pictures are from the looting and violent disorder in Tottenham and Wood Green in north London on 6 August.

In total, 770 people have been arrested in London since Saturday and 167 charged.

A dedicated Met Police website is displaying the images of people it wants to speak to. Flickr is also hosting the photos.

The first pictures released by Operation Withern detectives related to looting and disorder in south London.

Operation Withern's priority is to bring those who have committed violent and criminal acts to justice.

 

further night of riots across several major towns and cities in England has been condemned

further night of riots across several major towns and cities in England has been condemned.

There were disturbances in areas including Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham and Birmingham, with shops being looted and set alight.

A murder inquiry is under way in Birmingham after three pedestrians were run over and killed. It is not known if the incident is linked to the rioting.

Manchester Police said rioters had brought shame on the streets.

It remained largely quiet in London where 16,000 police were deployed.

David Cameron is due to chair a meeting of the Cabinet's emergency committee Cobra for the second day running.

The prime minister has said extra police, sent to the capital after three nights of riots there, will stay in the city as long as necessary.





A gang of rioters, including a young boy, attacks a pawn shop in Salford
Greater Manchester was one of the worst affected areas on Tuesday evening, with fire bombs thrown at shops and looters stealing clothes, electrical items and alcohol.

Hundreds of rioters have brought "shame on the streets", Greater Manchester's assistant chief constable Garry Shewan said.

He added: "This has been senseless violence and senseless criminality of a scale I have never experienced in my career before.

"It is important that people know Manchester remains open for business this morning."

BBC attack
Some 108 people were arrested in the city, but Labour MP Graham Stringer, who represents the Manchester seat of Blackley and Broughton, described the number of arrests as "simply not acceptable".

A BBC radio car was set alight in Manchester, as was a car belonging to a reporter.

A cameraman was also set upon just before crowds began attacking a Bargain Booze store and The Money Shop.

When the BBC asked two youths why they were rioting, one responded: "Why are you going to miss the opportunity to get free stuff that's worth, like, loads of money?"

But they said it was not just about that, adding it was in response to government cuts.

One added: "How many people have they arrested really, though, 10? I'm not really bothered. I'll keep doing this every day until I get caught."

He added that it would be his first offence "so I'm not really bothered".

There was looting in Birmingham city centre, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich on Tuesday night.

Fire bombing
Police said there were 109 arrests in the West Midlands.

One man was arrested and a vehicle recovered after three men were killed when they were hit by a car in Winson Green, Birmingham.

It is believed the men aged 31, 30 and 20 had just come out of a mosque and were protecting their neighbourhood at the time of the incident.

The father of one victim has paid tribute to his son.

Tariq Jahan said son Haroon Jahan "had his whole life ahead of him".


"He was a very good lad, a good man starting at the beginning of his life and had his whole life ahead of him."

Derrick Campbell, from Race Equality Sandwell, was caught up in trouble in Birmingham on Tuesday as youths surrounded his car.

He said the rioters looked to be 17 or 18 years old and described them as "opportunistic young thugs".

He said: "Fifty youths with balaclavas and sticks were running towards me, about five feet in front of me they started attacking the Sky News van.

"It was an unreal experience, I didn't feel in control, I knew I was in danger."

National Express coach services to Manchester, Birmingham and Wolverhampton were suspended overnight.

In Nottingham, five police stations across the city and one in Canning Circus station was fire bombed by a mob of about 40 men.

Shops, cars and pubs were also damaged in certain areas of the city and police made 80 arrests.

Local anger
About 200 youths gathered in the Toxteth area of Liverpool throwing missiles and causing disorder and damage, Merseyside Police said.

A resident of south Liverpool said: "The people that are opposed to what is going on need to show that they are against it, in any little way they can, whether it is just cleaning up or just go out tonight and hold a silent protest.

"There's no need to upset anyone but we need to show them that we are angry and there is no need to do it."

There were also smaller disturbances in Leicester, Coventry, Northampton and Cambridge.

In Gloucester, police officers came under attack from youths throwing rocks and bottles in the city centre.

Community clean-ups have been organised at several cities across the country.




Police tackle a large number of groups in Wolverhampton
Government minister Michael Gove has praised the Met's response to the riots, saying bringing in an extra 10,000 officers helped to prevent further riots from taking place in London.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of setting fire to the House of Reeves furniture store in Croydon. The man was held on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, Scotland Yard said.

A 26-year-old man shot in his car in Croydon during Monday's rioting has died and a murder investigation has begun.

Rubber bullets
Violence began in Tottenham on Saturday after the fatal shooting by police of Mark Duggan.

His family released a statement which said they were "deeply distressed by the disorder affecting so many communities across the country".

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said the use of plastic bullets - never before fired to deal with riots in England - would be "considered carefully" in the event of further disorder.

But he added: "That does not mean we are scared of using any tactic."

The Met Police force has launched a dedicated webpage to show images of people wanted over the disturbances at Metropolitan Police Service - Disorder Suspects Wanted.

Police arrested more than 110 people after mobs of violent youths marauded through Manchester and Salford.

Fire bombs were thrown at shops and windows were smashed as looters made off with designer clothes, electrical items, jewellery, mobile phones and alcohol.

Hundreds of rioters, some looking as young as nine or 10, rampaged throughout Manchester city centre and Salford shopping precinct from about 5pm on Tuesday.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan, of Greater Manchester police, said his officers were "absolutely intent" on bringing those responsible for the destruction to justice.

"Already today we have begun the process of arresting people whose images have been captured on CCTV and other media," he said.

"My message is extremely simple - hundreds and hundreds of people, we have your image, we have your face, we have your acts of wanton criminality on film.

"We are coming for you from today, and no matter how long it takes, we will arrest those people responsible."

Shewan admitted that Greater Manchester police were overwhelmed by the "sickening" violence and had to call in help from other forces in the region.

The chaos ensued for hours and calm was not largely restored in both locations until around 1am as a total of 47 arrests were made with officers from Northumbria, Staffordshire and north Wales assisting GMP.

Shewan said: "We saw some of the most sickening scenes as a police officer that I have ever experienced last night.

"We were overwhelmed. We had to draw resources from all over the North West to be able to ensure that we could protect life and property here in Manchester and Salford."

Riot police concentrated on containing the troublemakers in Manchester rather than seeking direct confrontation as they opted to take control street by street in an effort to flush out the offenders.

Earlier sporadic looting broke out across the city centre with gangs playing cat and mouse with riot officers.

On occasions youths could be seen talking to drivers of cars on mobile phones, exchanging information, while they drove around the streets in what appeared to be co-ordinated manoeuvres.

Two youths used a stone slab to smash the front door of Foot Asylum in the Arndale Centre and more than 50 others followed through the store for clothing and shoes.

Some items were thrown in the air in delight as raiders made off with their haul, only to be picked up by fellow looters.

Another mob broke into Bang & Olufsen in King Street and the store was cleaned out of its electrical items.

Two youths brazenly carried out a widescreen TV, while two more later returned to the store for a photo opportunity as one posed smiling for the camera in his balaclava.

Former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher's recently opened fashion boutique in King Street - Pretty Green - also fell victim to the looters, while Miss Selfridge in Market Street was set alight.

At Salford Shopping City, just 200 yards from a large police station, evidence of the ferocity of the violence could be seen.

Glass from shop windows and bus shelters littered the streets along with house bricks and rubble used to pelt riot police.

Two cars, one believed to be a BBC radio car, lay overturned and burnt out.

Firefighters came under attack from missile-throwing youths as they attended incidents at the Lidl supermarket in Jubilee Street, which was extensively damaged, and at several shop fires in Fitzwarren Street.

By 1am riot police and vans, one with a shattered windscreen, lined one shopping parade, with only small pockets of youths wandering the streets.

Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton, said he believed police had questions to answer on the disorder.

"It was known that this was coming to Salford and Manchester, and now shops have been looted and set on fire," he said.

"Businesses have been seriously damaged. There are a lot of questions that the chief constable needs to answer. The police need to get control of the streets, which they have failed to do.

"This was predicted. The police knew it was coming. It was co-ordinated and organised by well-known criminals and gangsters. They were taking the opportunity because of the publicity.

"It wasn't spontaneous - it was organised."

Manchester city council said the city would be open for business as usual on Wednesday with a clean-up planned at Piccadilly Gardens from 9am.

Pat Karney, the council's city centre spokesman, said: "People in Manchester are very angry about what has happened in our city centre and it is time for us to stand together and say we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.

"We have a very clear message for the criminal thugs who tried to destroy our city centre. You will not beat us. You will not win. Manchester is open for business as usual."

He said the council would ask the government to assist affected businesses to ensure they would not be broken by the "criminal hoodlums".

Rioters in London have forced people to strip naked in the streets before stealing their clothes,

Rioters in London have forced people to strip naked in the streets before stealing their clothes, a media report said on Tuesday.

There were shocking scenes as rioters stole clothes and rifled through bags as people made their way home, the Daily Mail reported.

Internet rumours on Monday night claimed that besides destruction across London and Birmingham, people were having their clothes removed by looters as police attempted to contain the criminality, the newspaper said.

Reports on Twitter claimed some people were being stripped, while another shocking video shows a bleeding teenager being robbed in broad daylight by lawless thugs who pretend to help him to his feet.

The video showed an unnamed teenager being apparently assisted by passersby after being spotted injured and bleeding on the ground.

But seconds after the vulnerable boy is helped up, callous looters instead start rifling through his rucksack.

With over a dozen thugs standing nearby, the teenager tries to stop the bleeding from his head as thieves continue the daylight robbery.

A man who is clearly seen picking items from the teenager's bag then wanders off with his loot, before carelessly discarding the items on the floor, the Mail added.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police could not confirm reports of people being stripped.

Manchester gangs using children as lookouts

Despite riot police positioned across the city, up to 1,000 youths, many on mountain bikes and the majority with their faces masked, caused the kind of mayhem seen in London earlier in the week.
On Tuesday night, the youths smashed shop windows, looted and set fire to shops and hurled missiles at police.
Many of the gangs appeared to be looting without any intervention from officers.
But in a new development, youths including young girls, appeared to embark on organised and efficient attacks rather than random looting and vandalism.
While other attacks had been pre-organised on Twitter and Facebook, Manchester's gangs continued to organise their attacks on the streets.

Officers from police forces in Northumbria, Stafford and North Wales were drafted in to help out.
But critics accused police of not being prepared for the attacks amid claims authorities were caught off-guard by the worst violence for 30 years.
Garry Shewan, Greater Manchester Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, said the rioters had “brought shame” on the city and said that arrests would be made.
ACC Shewan, who joined the force after moving to the city in 1981, called the scenes "senseless violence and senseless criminality on a scale I have never witnessed before".
He admitted the criminals had been “running wild” and embarked on “senseless criminality”. GMP has been faced with extraordinary levels of violence from groups of criminals intent on committing widespread disorder.
"These are pure and simple criminals running wild tonight," he said.
"They have nothing to protest against there has been no spark. This has been senseless violence and senseless criminality on a scale I have never witnessed before.
"Shops have been targeted, looted and set on fire and I, like everyone else, am absolutely appalled by the shameful actions of these criminals who have attacked our cities and have put Manchester and Salford in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons."
He added: "This is nothing more than senseless violence with absolutely no regard for people, their property or livelihoods.
"These criminals have also attacked some of my officers and other emergency services who are simply trying to do their job to keep the public safe and restore order."
"I would ask all members of the communities across Greater Manchester to think very carefully and seriously about who they support and who they want to bring to justice for those acts which have ripped the heart out of two great cities."
He said that offenders had been caught on CCTV and his message for them was "we will be coming for you".
Police arrested 47 people including one suspected looter who handed himself in after seeing himself on Facebook.
A spokesman for GMP said: “If you have been using social networking sites to incite disorder, expect us to come knocking on your door very soon.”
Throughout the night riot police played “cat and mouse” with the gangs who smashed their way into supermarkets and shops, including many upmarket retailers, in the heart of Manchester city centre.
The widespread attacks followed similar disturbances in neighbouring Salford, in which a former library was set on fire and shops attacked in the central precinct.
As rioters stormed shops, they set fire to a branch of fashion store Miss Selfridge in Manchester city centre as the youths embarked on running battles with police.
A jewellers was also reportedly attacked before plain-clothed police nearby ran in to arrest two looters from the shop.
Witnesses reported seeing children acting as “look outs” to help evade arrest, who would call out to gang members when police were nearby.
Other rioters, who set off fireworks, were seen talking to drivers of cars on mobile phones, exchanging information, while they drove around the streets in what appeared to be co-ordinated manoeuvres.
Police sealed off much of the city centre and used a " reverse kettling " strategy to clear the city centre by gradually pushing rioters away from the main shopping areas.
Trouble flared just after 5pm after a gang of 150 youths raced into the Arndale indoor shopping centre in a bid to break into the JB sports store.
Frightened retailers immediately started closing and boarding up their premises amid fears the violence could escalate.
One sign at a Subway in the centre read: “Due to imminent collapse of society we regret to announce we are closing at 6pm."
Gangs ran down Market Street smashing windows of shops and setting fire to the Miss Selfridge store while a Swarovski jewellers was attacked.
Other store windows were smashed with iron poles as more gangs poured into the city centre.
Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher's recently opened fashion boutique in King Street had fallen victim to the looters.
In Piccadilly Gardens, an amusement arcade was plundered and machines were overturned in Piccadilly Museums with coins strewn across the carpet.
Mohammed Shafiq, of the Ramadhan Foundation, said last night that he witnessed up to 1000 youths, some of whom ransacked a closed restaurant.
"There are group leaders who are shouting orders 'please move on. Ten minutes. Police coming',” he said.
“This was not random. It is pre-planned and pre-organised thuggery."
Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton, added: "It was known that this was coming to Salford and Manchester, and now shops have been looted and set on fire.
"Businesses have been seriously damaged. There are a lot of questions that the Chief Constable needs to answer. The police need to get control of the streets, which they have failed to do."
Councillor Pat Karney, a spokesman for Manchester City Council said it was one of the worst days the city had ever suffered.
"This is one of the worst days in Manchester's history," he said.
"People in Manchester and Salford are very angry about what has been done to this city and their city centres in Manchester and Salford.
"I was shocked and horrified to see the ages of some of these hooligans."
He added: "We are talking about nine, 10, 11-year-olds with balaclavas on walking up the main shopping street in Manchester as if it was a great night out."
ACC Shewan added: "We have been shocked by the level of violence, we have seen this evening.
"The level of violence has taken us all by surprise."

 

Sporadic violence has broken out in Birmingham.

Sporadic violence has broken out in several parts of London as shops are looted and police are attacked in a third day of civil disorder - and there has also been unrest in Birmingham.
The latest disturbances in the capital were centred around Hackney in east London, and Lewisham, Peckham and Croydon in the south.
Clapham also fell victim to rioting, with rows of shops on Lavender Hill attacked.
Prime Minister David Cameron is to return to London overnight in the wake of the unrest and will chair a meeting of the Government's emergency committee Cobra on Tuesday.
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.

Theresa May's return from holiday comes as Nick Clegg defends government over absence of ministers

The home secretary, Theresa May, is flying back from her summer holiday after a second night of violence in London left at least nine more police officers injured and led to more than 100 arrests.

Her return comes amid growing criticism over the absence of senior politicians and police leaders as "copycat" looting broke out on Sunday night across several boroughs in north, south and east London following riots in Tottenham on Saturday.

Brixton in south London bore the brunt of Sunday's violence, with shops looted and some set alight. Police told businesses in the area affected it was "advisable" to shut up shop on Monday. Other troublespots included Enfield, Walthamstow and Islington in north and east London.

Thousands of extra police had been drafted in from neighbouring forces to support the Metropolitan police, who admitted they had not anticipated the extreme violence on Saturday that followed a peaceful demonstration to demand "justice" for Mark Duggan, 29, a father of four shot dead by police on Thursday evening near Tottenham Hale retail park.

The Guardian has revealed that doubts are emerging over whether he died following an exchange of fire with CO19 officers. Initial ballistic tests on a bullet lodged in a police radio after his death suggested it was police issue, it is understood. An inquest into his death is due to open tomorrow.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is carrying out an investigation into Duggan's death, said it was awaiting "further forensic analysis" to form a comprehensive account of the shots that led to his death. Results were expected within 24 hours.

Rachel Cerfontyne, the IPCC commissioner overseeing the independent investigation into Duggan's death, responded to suggestions the watchdog had not had enough contact with Duggan's family.

She said: "Following my meeting with the family yesterday [Sunday] I am very clear that their concerns were not about lack of contact or support from the IPCC. Their concerns were about lack of contact from the police in delivering news of his death to Mark's parents.

"It is never the responsibility of the IPCC to deliver a message regarding someone's death and I have told Mr Duggan's family that I would be addressing this issue with the Met and that, if necessary, this would become part of our investigation."

The Met police borough commander for Tottenham is also due to return to London after reportedly flying to Florida. Chief Superintendent Sandra Looby has been criticised for allegedly leaving for a holiday hours before Saturday's riot.

The London mayor, Boris Johnson, is apparently not considering cutting his holiday short. Kit Malthouse, the deputy mayor for policing in London, said a return would "kind of reward" criminality.

Sunday night's looting across London was carried out by "small and mobile" groups, said Scotland Yard. Thousands had attended the Splash festival in Brixton without problems. But the mood changed after 11pm when witnesses said about 200 young people began throwing stones and bottles at police. Some of the offenders wore masks or scarves and others had hoods pulled over their faces.

Near the tube station, which remained shut on Monday, the Foot Locker store was trashed and set alight. A Currys store half a mile from the centre was ransacked. Looters walked out with large flat-screen televisions.

Shops including WH Smith, Halfords and Gamesmaster were targeted, as well as McDonald's, KFC and Nando's. Witnesses said people carried off armfuls of clothes and shoes and passed them to friends in cars.

There was community fury at rioters using Tottenham "as an excuse" for violence. Chuka Umunna, Labour MP for Streatham, said it would be "incorrect" to make comparisons with the "anger and frustration arising from the tragic death of a young man in Tottenham and a community that wanted answers".

Julian Whiting, 48, a former police officer, watched a mob go on the rampage. The bus he was travelling on was "rocked" and "they were throwing rocks". "I got off the bus and saw a whole load of police officers and their vehicle had been smashed," he said.

Matthew Turner, also on a bus travelling through Brixton at midnight, said the road was blocked by rioters using newspaper recyling bins as blockades. "Fires were being started in phone booths about 10 metres from where the bus was stationed. The bus was stationary for about 10 minutes before the driver decided to smash through the recycling bins.

"I was very surprised by the lack of police given that Brixton police station is only 100 metres down the road."

Three officers were taken to hospital after being hit by a vehicle in Chingford Mount, Waltham Forest, where a shop was being looted.

About 50 youths gathered in Oxford Circus, central London, causing damage to nearby property. A fight broke out when rival gangs attended King's College hospital after two victims of minor stabbings were admitted.

Shops in Enfield, north London, and the A10 retail park were ransacked, including a jewellers' attacked by about 200 youths who stole watches said to be worth £40,000. Two vehicles were reportedly set on fire.

More than 30 youths – many in masks – vandalised and looted shops in Walthamstow Central, the windscreen of a police vehicle was smashed after groups caused a disturbance in Islington and goods were stolen from a Tesco store in Ponders End.

Nick Clegg defended the government against accusations top ministers were on holiday as rioters brought chaos to London and markets crashed. The deputy prime minister said: "I reject completely this notion that somehow this government hasn't been functioning very effectively indeed last week and this week.

"Let's be clear, the violence we saw last night had absolutely nothing to do with the death of Mr Duggan. It was needless, opportunist theft and violence – nothing more and nothing less." The government stood "side by side" with victims in "utterly condeming" the rioting and looting.

 

TEENAGER has died after being brutally attacked by thugs in a row at a house party.

Les Berry was found with horrific injuries at his home in the early hours of yesterday morning.
It's understood that the 19-year-old was badly beaten and stabbed in a brawl.

Police yesterday launched a murder probe in Kilsyth, Stirlingshire, following a postmortem examination.
Neighbours in the street reported hearing loud music and noise coming from the block where Les lived after he moved to Kilsyth from his family home in nearby Cumbernauld.
Detective Chief Inspector Kenny Dewar said: "A young man has lost his life in what appears to be a senseless attack.
"We believe that earlier in the evening, around midnight, a disturbance had taken place either in or near to Leslie's flat in Park Lane.
"Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances surrounding his death and to trace those responsible."
Uniformed officers conducted door-to-door inquiries in the streets surrounding the flat yesterday.
Last night, Les's pals paid tribute to the former pupil of Cumbernauld's Greenfaulds High School.
One female friend said: "He was the nicest guy you could meet. No one can believe he has been killed."

Police 'had not anticipated' extreme violence

The Metropolitan police has admitted it "had not anticipated" the extreme violence that saw police attacked and buildings and vehicles set alight during sustained rioting in Tottenham, north London.

As questions were asked about the level of policing, Commander Adrian Hanstock said a peaceful vigil by the family of 29-year-old Mark Duggan, who was fatally shot by officers in the area on Thursday, had been "hijacked by mindless thugs" and that the situation had "escalated out of all proportion".

Twenty-six police officers suffered injuries, with eight receiving hospital treatment. Two remained in hospital on Sunday. Three members of the public also required medical attention, with two taken to hospital.

Forty-two people have been arrested for offences including violent disorder, burglary and theft following the torching of buildings, two police cars and a bus, and the ransacking and looting of shops in both Tottenham and nearby Wood Green.

The violence followed a demonstration by members of the community outside Tottenham police station to demand "justice" for the family of Duggan, a father of four, who was shot after police stopped the minicab he was driving in.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating the incident, which also saw a police officer shot, the bullet reportedly lodging in his police radio and leaving him with minor injuries.

Hanstock said the death was "extremely regrettable". He said it was "absolutely tragic that someone has died, but that does not give a criminal minority the right to destroy businesses and people's livelihoods and steal from their local community".

"There was no indication that the protest would deteriorate into the levels of criminal and violent disorder that we saw," he added.

As soon as the situation became apparent, riot police were deployed and support called in from other forces as officers were "subjected to bottles, petrol bombs and other missiles", he said.

Police had kept a "dignified" presence at the vigil, and there was nothing to indicate it would be "anything other than a peaceful demo", he added.

But community leaders had warned of tensions following Duggan's death. Nims Obunge, a street pastor who was with the Duggan family at the police station protest, said the family and the community needed answers.

"I was here [at the police station] for five hours before this incident kicked off. Someone died on Thursday, a man was shot in our community and the community cried out for justice," he said.

The IPCC, which took over the investigation after the shooting, said it had been in contact with the family. Scotland Yard sources said they were not allowed to communicate with the family because the inquiry was being handled by the IPCC.

The IPCC confirmed that the first time the Duggan family had been taken to identify his body or see it to pay their respects had been on Saturday afternoon, some 36 hours after his death.

"The fact is that someone was killed in our community and the family came over here to say: 'Give us answers as to why this happened,'" Obunge said.

"They didn't get the answers they wanted. Why was this family not supported? They did not receive the proper support. They stood outside here for five hours waiting for acknowledgement."

On Sunday morning, a section of Tottenham High Road, where the trouble started at about 8.30pm, was cordoned off and a line of police officers stood facing the crowd of locals that had gathered.

The local MP, David Lammy, said "a community that was already hurting has now had the heart ripped out of it". The community had been "smashed" by "mindless, mindless people", he said, adding that many "were not from Tottenham" but had come from miles away to loot and join in the violence.

There were questions concerning the policing, he said, and over how a legitimate, peaceful protest had been able to escalate.

The London mayor, Boris Johnson, said he was "appalled at the scenes of violence and destruction in Tottenham".

The deputy mayor for policing in London, Kit Malthouse, told Sky News that officers had coped "with the cards they were played very well" and insisted they had been adequately prepared.

"Nobody predicted the level of violence, arson and looting that was going to take place," he said. "Nobody thought that the protest would necessarily degenerate into that kind of activity, and there is no reason why they should have done.

"The critical thing is ... were we able to mobilise forces fast enough to deal with what did arise? We did get a significant number of officers out there to deal with it in good time."

Senior political figures were united in their condemnation. The home secretary, Theresa May, said: "I condemn utterly the violence in Tottenham last night." She paid tribute to officers "who put themselves in harm's way".

Residents said they had been driven from their homes and had lost everything. Stuart Radose had to flee his flat above a Carpetright shop in Tottenham High Road as fire ravaged the building.

"We've gone back this morning and it's a complete shell," he told Sky News. "Everything we had is gone. It's just mad. So many people have lost everything. It's just crazy. It looks like it's the second world war. It looks like the Blitz where we were living."

He said he had watched from his balcony as "things were getting worse and worse". "There didn't seem to be a police presence at all," he added. "Buildings seemed to be allowed to burn. I guess they couldn't get there.

"I think we've probably spent our last night in Tottenham. We're just in shock."

 

Trouble in Enfield follows night of serious riots

FOLLOWING A night of violence in London on Saturday, youths last night vandalised a police car and smashed windows on Enfield High Street in London. There were unconfirmed reports that a number of vehicles were set alight.

Groups of hooded youths, some numbering 30 or so, ran around Enfield. Many had their faces covered and some carried sticks and other weapons.

They were repeatedly chased away from shops by mounted police officers although they were said to have managed to break into a few stores.

Lines of riot police readied themselves for the trouble to escalate.

The trouble began in Tottenham, north London, on Saturday, two days after Mark Duggan (29) was shot by police.

Mr Duggan’s family say they “are not condoning” the riots and looting that rocked their local area on Saturday night.

It followed a peaceful march by members of the local community demanding “justice” for Mr Duggan’s relatives.

Mr Duggan’s brother Shaun Hall said: “We’re not condoning any kind of actions like that at all.

“It seems to be the press who are generally saying that it is linked to my brother. OK some questions were supposed to have been answered, they weren’t answered, therefore there was a domino effect from that, we don’t condone that at all.

“I know people are frustrated, they’re angry out there at the moment, but I would say please try and hold it down. Please don’t make this about my brother’s life, he was a good man.”

Scotland Yard said that a total of 55 arrests had been made – 51 on Saturday and four yestday.

The majority were for burglary, and other offences included violent disorder, robbery, theft and handling stolen goods.

Scotland Yard said 26 police officers were injured during the unrest.

A major investigation has been launched, codenamed Operation Withern.

The riots were roundly condemned as the shocked community surveyed the devastation caused.

Community and political leaders were swift to criticise the rioting, looting and arson that swept through the area after the mood at the protest turned nasty after dark on Sunday.

Buildings and vehicles including a double-decker bus and two police cars were engulfed in flames. Their burnt out shells remained in the High Road today.

Local residents were left destitute after being forced to flee their burning homes, and looters went on the rampage in Tottenham Hale Retail Park half a mile away, smashing shop windows and grabbing whatever they could.

Teenagers and adults were said to have turned up in cars and filled their boots with stolen items, unimpeded by police, while others stuffed shopping trolleys with electronic goods. Every single handset was stolen from a mobile phone shop.

Downing Street labelled the rioting “utterly unacceptable”, while Home Secretary Theresa May said: “Such disregard for public safety and property will not be tolerated.”

Local MP David Lammy said the community “had the heart ripped out of it” by “mindless people”, many of whom had come from outside Tottenham to cause trouble.

Speaking from behind the police tape in the High Road today he said: “What happened here on Thursday night raised huge questions and we need answers.

“The response to that is not to loot and rob. There are homeless people standing back there.

“We have officers in hospital, some of whom are seriously injured. It’s a disgrace. This must stop.”

Cries of “the police want to see the place burn” greeted Mr Lammy’s speech.

The sense of anger at what the rioters and looters had done was clear among the local community yesterday.

Nadine Knight, 24, who works in administration at a planning and architecture firm, said: “I’m completely and utterly disgusted by what the community has managed to do here.

But others voiced the fury that had fuelled the disturbances.

An 18-year-old man, who did not want to give his name, voiced the sentiment he said was shared by many.

“Police know what they should have done, they should have come to speak to the community themselves,” he said. “They don’t care.”

But the anger and frustration went beyond what had happened on Thursday night, he indicated.

Firefighters attended 49 blazes in the Tottenham area and were threatened as they put out fires.

The air was still thick with acrid smoke yesterday as firefighters continued to hose down smouldering buildings. Broken glass and debris carpeted the road and plumes of smoke billowed into the sky.

Police were monitoring social networking sites throughout yesterday and appealed to anyone with information about crimes to inform the force, adding that it was clear the community “absolutely resent the intrusion into their lives and damage to their livelihoods”.

 

alleged gangster better known to many as "Starrish Mark", he had been under police surveillance for some time. Officers approached his car with the intention of making an arrest. Shots were fired.

As Mark Duggan rode in a minicab over the Ferry Lane Bridge near Tottenham Hale underground station early on Thursday evening, he texted his girlfriend to say: "The feds are following me." Minutes later the 29-year-old father of four was dead.

As an alleged gangster better known to many as "Starrish Mark", he had been under police surveillance for some time. Officers approached his car with the intention of making an arrest. Shots were fired. One officer's radio was hit by a bullet and Mr Duggan was shot and killed. It was reported last night that the round recovered from the radio was a police-issue bullet. A gun was also recovered from the scene. One eyewitness claims Mr Duggan was shot while he was pinned to the floor by police, a claim that is now part of an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The circumstances of Mr Duggan's death are controversial, but they bear little relation to the carnage that engulfed the dead man's neighbourhood on Saturday night and, in the words of David Lammy, the area's MP, "ripped the heart out of our community"

Enfield riots spread to Brixton, police reportedly in retreat

Having simmered for a few hours, Brixton is reportedly seeing some violence at the moment. North and south of the Thames, London is burning and the ability of police to deal with the sheer scale of the disturbances is now in doubt.

Businesses in Brixton have reportedly been told to shut, and cordons have been set up. There are unconfirmed reports of police lines moving back. A couple of hours ago, it seemed that the police strategy was working and the worst violence of Saturday night in Tottenham would not be repeated tonight. That hope now seems doomed.

So it’s Enfield, Brixton and Ponders End tonight. Where else? There remain reports about tensions near Oxford Circus. And the violence clearly is no longer confined solely to north London. In other words, all bets are off. There seems to be no organisation behind the riots, they just seem to be breaking out here and there.

 

POLICE car has been attacked in Enfield Town amid clashes between rioters and police.

The vehicle in Church Street was pelted with bricks, while police have confirmed that two shops were targeted by gangs of people with hoods and scarves covering their face.

Rumours that riots in Tottenham last night were due to spread to Enfield were spread across social networking sites earlier this afternoon, but riot police were lined up outside Enfield Town station carrying out stop-and-searches on those arriving.

Trouble flared at around 6.30pm, before police pushed back the group past the Tesco store in Southbury Road.