PM flies home to ‘war zone’

Rioters rampaged across London for a third night last night, attacking police, setting fires and looting shops as violence in the capital spiralled out of control.

The crisis forced Prime Minister David Cameron to cut short his foreign holiday and he is today due to hold a meeting of the Government’s emergency committee Cobra.

Running battles between groups of masked youths and riot police erupted last night on the streets of Hackney, Lewisham, Peckham and Clapham, where vehicles and buildings were set alight. A massive blaze burned out of control in Croydon.

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Home Secretary Theresa May condemned the chaotic scenes but despite the deployment of hundreds of extra police officers across the capital, the violence raged for a third consecutive night. Signs were growing that the police were becoming increasingly overstretched.

The unrest also spread outside the capital as shop windows were smashed and stores looted in Birmingham’s city centre. Riot police were drafted in as confrontations broke out near the city cathedral.

Scotland Yard’s most senior officer called on parents to contact their children and urged the public to clear London’s streets.

Acting Scotland Yard Commissioner Tim Godwin attacked the “gratuitous” violence.

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“I do urge now that parents start contacting their children and asking where their children are,” he said. “There are far too many spectators who are getting in the way of the police operation to tackle criminal thuggery and burglary.

“I’m imploring that people within those communities actually start clearing the streets to enable my police officers to deal with the criminality that’s occurring in front of them.”

Mrs May said: “I think this is about sheer criminality.

“That’s why I say that these people will be brought to justice, they will be made to face the consequences of their actions and I call on all members of local communities to work with the police constructively to help the police to bring these criminals to justice.”

The latest trouble followed the riot in Tottenham on Saturday and violence on Sunday in Enfield, Walthamstow and Brixton.

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Violence flared in Hackney yesterday afternoon, reportedly prompted by a stop and search incident. Rioters, many wearing hoods and masks, were confronted by police lines spanning the streets, occasionally moving forward to push the groups back. Shops were attacked and looted and a lorry was ransacked, while buses were vandalised.

Local MP Diane Abbott condemned the violence, describing the area as a “war zone”.

South of the river in Peckham, teams of riot officers fought running battles with as many as 500 troublemakers after a major fire was started at a shop adjoining a bakery. Shops were looted and a bus set alight. A row of shops was attacked in Clapham.

A massive fire blazed out of control in Croydon in what was believed to be a furniture store, one of several blazes that had been lit as 100 masked youths were reported to have massed in the area.

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Fears of violence had earlier led to shops being closed early in Barnet, Streatham and Islington as transport in the capital was badly affected.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said there were a third more officers on the ground than on Sunday, which itself was three times more than the previous night.

At least 215 people aged between 11 and 46 have so far been arrested and 25 charged following rioting across the capital since Saturday.

Mr Kavanagh apologised to the family of shooting victim Mark Duggan, whose death sparked the original violence, for not managing their “needs” better.

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He added: “Let me make it clear that people who are using current events as an excuse or cover to break the law, steal, attack police officers and cause fear to Londoners will not be tolerated by the vast majority of Londoners and us.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who visited scenes of rioting in previous days after returning from holiday yesterday, said “big scars” would be left from the rioting.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has interrupted his family holiday in North America and was today returning to the capital.

The violence erupted after a peaceful protest in Tottenham on Saturday, which followed the fatal shooting of Mr Duggan, 29, on Thursday.

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Dozens of police officers are believed to have been injured so far in the violence, including three who were taken to hospital early yesterday after being hit by a fast-moving vehicle in Waltham Forest, where a shop was looted by youths.