Did rock-throwing teenage girl’s ‘beating’ by police spark London riots? Pictures that show how Tottenham turned into a war zone

• Violence breaks out in Enfield with around 200 youths smashing windows and attacking cars
• Twenty-six police officers hurt in Tottenham clashes, with eight treated in hospital
• IPCC says ‘non-police’ firearm found at scene of Mark Duggan’s death
• Number of arrests rises to 55, 51 last night and four today
• Tottenham MP David Lammy appeals for calm and warns that there may be fatalities
• Mob of 500 people protest about death of father-of-four Mark Duggan who was shot by officers
• Fears that violence was fanned by Twitter as picture of burning police car was re-tweeted more than 100 times
• Shop looted and youths storm McDonald’s and start cooking their own food
• Mail on Sunday photographers beaten and mugged by masked thugs

The family of Mark Duggan has condemned the riot that broke out in Tottenham last night as eyewitness reports emerge that trouble erupted after a 16-year-old girl threw a rock at police.

Mr Duggan was shot dead by marksmen on Thursday and his fiancee, Semone Wilson, has said that she wanted answers, not trouble, while his brother, Shaun Hall, called for the community to remain calm.

Despite his calls for the community to remain calm, violence broke out in Enfield this evening with a group of around 200 youths smashing windows iand attacking vehicles in the town centre.

The Metropolitan Police meanwhile, has described Mr Duggan’s death as ‘regrettable’ and blamed the violent anarchy that flared on a ‘criminal minority’.

Aftermath: A building that was set ablaze in Tottenham is just an empty shell this morning

 

Shocking: This morning the mangled burnt out shell of a double-decker bus that was set on fire sits in Tottenham’s High Road, left, while on the right is a travel agent shop that was one of the many businesses attacked during a night of anarchy

The morning after: Bricks and debris from the previous night’s riots litter High Road

 

Clear-up: A fireman watches as a building that was set ablaze is dowsed with water, left, while the picture on the right shows the extent of the looting that took place with this shop stripped bare of TVs

 

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Hall repeated the family’s call for answers about how his brother was killed.

He said: ‘There should be someone here putting our minds at rest about what happened. He’s not some type of gangster. He’s a family man.’

 

More…

• Pictured: The ‘gangsta’ gunman killed in shoot-out with police as officer is saved from bullet by radio
• Tottenham anarchy: Grim echo of 1985 Broadwater farm riot
• Bullet fired at officer ‘belonged to police’, fuelling fury about shooting of father-of-four

Asked about his thoughts on the violence that flared up, which saw police and members of the public injured, he said: ‘We’re not condoning any kind of actions like that. There was a domino effect that we don’t condone at all. I know people are frustrated and angry, but we ask them to please hold it down.’

In an interview with the Guardian, Ms Wilson also made a plea for an explanation from authorities.

She said: ‘When we were outside the police station last night we wanted someone to come out. We want some answers. I have not even told my children that he is dead because we cannot give them any answers.’

Cleaning up: The landlord of The Two Brewers sweeps broken glass and rocks from the pavement outside his pub on the Tottenham High Road

 

What happened here? A young boy seems lost in thought as he reacts to the burnt out metal of a car

Surveying the scene: A group of children watch as firefighters continued to hose down one building earlier today, while other residents took to the streets to access the damage, with some taking photos to document what happened

Twenty-six police officers were injured in riots that broke out.

Scotland Yard said at least one of the officers had suffered head injuries after protesters clashed with police in Tottenham, north London.

Tonight’s violence in Enfield appears to be a copycat of last night’s riots.

It is understood that they attacked the HMV store on the High Street, while also smashing windows on other shops and raiding a local chemist.

There were also reports that a car and a van had been set on fire in the town.

A police car was also attacked with rocks, with reinforcements, including riot vans, deployed to the area to deal with the youngsters.

Upon their arrival at least one van was attacked outside Enfield Town station as a stand-off developed.

Police did launch baton charges at the group, with dogs also being used to disperse the group, who fled back into the town centre.

Scotland Yard confirmed that they had made arrests, while helicopters were hovering over the area.

They added that the youths, many of whom were wearing hooded tops, arrived by bus and train and congregated at the town’s railway station.

It is believed the violence may have been organised via social networking sites, with police warning local businesses to close from 3pm.

New outbreak: A group of youths congregated on Enfield High Street this afternoon, attacking the HMV store, while also using concrete blocks to damage this police car

Waiting game: A team of riot officers were engaged in a stand-off with the youths on a street in Enfield town centre

Tonight, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said that a non-police firearm was found at the scene of Duggan’s death.

And commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said that the investigation into the death remain her ‘top priority’.

She said: ‘Mark Duggan’s family and the community in Tottenham need answers about what happened to him – and we will investigate independently, thoroughly and robustly so that we can give them answers.’

Ms Cerfontyne said: “As an IPCC Commissioner I cannot ever have worked for the police and am entirely independent of them. My role is to oversee the investigation – which must also support the family, and address the concerns expressed by the community. To help me I have established a community reference group to ensure I am sensitive and responsive to those concerns.’

She also moved to clarify a number of points that had arisen since Thursday’s shooting.

She continued: ‘Speculation that Mark Duggan was ‘assassinated’ in an execution style involving a number of shots to the head are categorically untrue. Following the formal identification of the body Mr Duggan’s family know that this is not the case and I would ask anyone reporting this to be aware of its inaccuracy and its inflammatory nature.’

She went on: ‘The distress that Mr Duggan’s family are in the midst of is understandable but the violence and disorder we have witnessed over the last 24 hours can never be acceptable.’

Her statement echoed that of Scotland Yard, with Commander Adrian Hanstock saying: ‘Last night’s disorder and violence in Tottenham is completely unacceptable. The behaviour by a criminal minority put police officers, fire brigade personnel and the public at significant risk

‘The death of Mr. Duggan is extremely regrettable and will be the subject of an independent investigation by the IPCC. It is 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. We believe that certain elements, who were not involved with the vigil, took the opportunity to commit disorder and physically attack police officers, verbally abuse fire brigade personnel and destroy vehicles and buildings.

‘We do not believe that this is something that the vast majority of law abiding citizens in Tottenham would condone or would want.’

Smouldering: This aerial shot shows the extent of the damage caused by rioters in Tottenham. Commander Adrian Hanstock described the trouble as ‘absolutely unacceptable’

Devastation: The peaceful vigil over the death of Mark Duggan quickly escalated into a full-scale riot in which huge amounts of damage was caused. Fire crews spent hours bring the flames under control

Burnt to a shell: This building was completely gutted by fire and this morning was still smouldering. Fire crews reported suffering verbal abuse from rioters

Wrecked: Two police cars used as a road block were set alight during the troubles

This evening police said that the number of arrests had risen to 55, with 51 last night and four today. The majority were for burglary, and other offences included violent disorder, robbery, theft and handling stolen goods.

The trouble flared after members of the community took to the streets last night to demand ‘justice’, after Mr Duggan’s death.

 

Patrol cars, a shop and a double-decker bus were set ablaze and there were reports of looting amid scenes reminiscent of the violent unrest in the same area 26 years ago when PC Keith Blakelock was hacked to death.

More than 100 officers and specialist riot police faced crowds of more than 500 people protesting about the death of Mr Duggan, who lived on the estate and was described last week by police sources as a ‘gangster’.

Senior political figures were united in their condemnation of last night’s unrest.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: ‘I condemn utterly the violence in Tottenham last night. Such disregard for public safety and property will not be tolerated, and the Metropolitan Police have my full support in restoring order.

‘I want to pay tribute to the officers who put themselves in harm’s way.’

Burnt out: Two people look at the shells of a car and a van destroyed by fire during the riots

Damping down: Firemen continued to douse the buildings set alight during riots throughout the day

Clean up: Members of staff at one of the retail park’s electrical shops remove some of the damage goods from the store while an employee at another shop accesses the damage inside

David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, was at the scene this morning. 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.’

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: ‘I’m appalled at the scenes of violence and destruction in Tottenham. The Acting Commissioner has assured me that the police are doing everything they can to resolve this situation. The events leading to these disturbances are rightly being investigated by the IPCC. Harming people and property will do nothing to facilitate the investigation, it will only make the situation worse.’

There was concern that the disturbances were fanned by Twitter, with some of those taking part posting inflammatory comments from the scene and calling for reinforcements.

One picture of a police car on fire in the area was re-tweeted more than 100 times on the social networking site within an hour.

Mr Duggan was shot by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s CO19 unit on Thursday evening after the minicab he was travelling in was stopped. There was an apparent ‘exchange’ of fire and a bullet was found lodged in a police radio.

Mr Duggan died at the scene and an officer was injured, but left hospital after treatment.

The violence last night started soon after a crowd of about 120 had begun to gather at the High Road, near Tottenham Hotspur’s football ground, from about 5.30pm.

One resident, Laurence Bailey, told the Guardian that the violence started after a 16-year-old girl ‘threw something, maybe a stone, at the original riot police line’.

He added that this was met with a furious response, with around 15 riot officers pounding her with shields.

This description of events was corroborated by another local who spoke to BBC News. He said that the girl was ‘set upon’ by police and that the crowd surged forward in anger.

Out of control: Scores of police tackle rioters in Tottenham last night

 

Fire fighters attempt to put out one of the many blazes that were started last night in a night of anarchy

 

Inferno: Flames rages through a building in Tottenham, with fire crews prevented from tackling it in case they were attacked by rioters

Inferno: Flames rages through a building in Tottenham, with fire crews prevented from tackling it in case they were attacked by rioters

Twitter riot: A red London double decker bus burns as riot police try and bring rioting under control in Tottenham late last night

The rioters’ target was the police station which was being guarded late last night by lines of officers and police vans. As the disorder spread, and the numbers of demonstrators swelled, two police cars being used to block the road were set ablaze by masked youths.

 

Flames began to billow from a shop and then a double-decker bus was engulfed in flames and quickly reduced to a twisted shell. Witnesses also reported seeing a jewellery shop and a bookmakers being looted.

Teenagers and younger children were seen carrying valuables through the shattered glass front of an electrical shop.

One witness described the looters helping themselves to a trolley loads of luxury goods including plamsa TVs and stereo systems – ‘as if had been Christmas shopping’

Windows were smashed at a Barclays Bank and pictures on Twitter appeared t.o show the building being looted. There were also reports that youths had stormed McDonald’s and had started frying their own burgers and chips.

Battle: The riots saw violent clashes between police and youths with rocks and fireworks being hurled at officers

Stand-off: Rioters wearing bandanas confront police officers. The trouble saw 26 policeman injured and eight taken to hospital

Footage was posted on YouTube of local solicitor’s office Attridge on fire.

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