Curfews could be used in bid to keep rioters off streets

Home Secretary Theresa May said she was considering the move because she feared existing powers to keep people out of specific troublespots may not be strong enough.

“At the moment the curfew powers are specific in terms of individuals and attached to individuals and it’s whether more general powers are needed.

“In the fast-moving situation that we’ve seen over the past week, I think we need to make sure the police have just got all the powers available to be able to use them as and when they are necessary.”

As the Ministry of Justice released figures which showed that, as of noon yesterday, 1179 suspects across the UK have faced a court on charges related to the disorder, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg confirmed rioters would be made to face the consequences of their actions and be forced to help to clean up areas hit by the disturbances.

“In every single one of the communities affected there will be community payback schemes,” he said, “riot payback schemes, where you will see people in visible orange clothing making up the damage done, repairing and improving the neighbourhoods affected”.

Javed Khan, chief executive of Victim Support, welcomed the schemes but Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of the probation union Napo, said such schemes were “financially untenable” when the Government was cutting probation budgets.

Mrs May has also asked Sir Denis O’Connor, the chief inspector of constabulary, to give forces clearer guidance on tactics, pre-emptive action, the number of officers trained in public order policing, the need for forces to assist others, and the appropriate arrest policy.

But she rejected calls from senior officers to reconsider the Government’s 20 per cent cuts to police budgets in the wake of the riots.