Victims’ voices to be heard but Clegg rules out full-scale inquiry

VICTIMS of the riots that swept England last week are to be given the chance to speak out over what happened – but the Government has stopped short of ordering a full-scale inquiry.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Government would be establishing an independent communities and victims panel to ensure those caught up in the violence “can have their voice heard”.

Mr Clegg stressed it would not be the full scale inquiry demanded by Labour leader Ed Miliband but was intended to be part of a “grassroots process” to establish what happened.

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“We don’t want a grandees committee, we want a grassroots process where people in the communities affected and the victims who have been so damaged and hurt can give their views about what needs to happen to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

At the same time, he said the Cabinet Office would be commissioning independent research to find out more about “what happened, who did what and why they did it”.

Mr Clegg said he wanted the panel – to be chaired by an independent figure – to work quickly, producing a report to be presented to the leaders of all three the main parties within six to nine months.

As Mr Clegg was announcing the plans, Prime Minister David Cameron toured Tottenham in north London, where the first riots broke out 10 days ago, to talk to people affected by the disturbances which sparked violence around the country.

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He visited a leisure centre being used to provide food and clothing for as many as 200 people made homeless by the fires which swept the area and went to the fire station to discuss challenges the emergency services had faced and any lessons that could be learned. And he also held private talks with people whose homes had been destroyed.

Mr Cameron told local emergency services chiefs gathered at the fire station: “I wanted to hear first-hand about some of the things you experienced, and some of the things we need to learn from it.

“It was an incredibly challenging situation, perhaps particularly here in Tottenham.

“I’ve been all over the country hearing about what happened, but this is where things started. It was complicated and made difficult by the tragic killing of Mark Duggan – it’s been a difficult situation.”

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There was no access for the press to his talks with some of the 50 families made homeless by the rioting, when flats were burned during attacks on shops.

The shooting of 29-year-old Mr Duggan by police near Tottenham Hale station, which is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, was the spark which set off the riots in the area two days later.

Local Labour MP David Lammy said before Mr Cameron’s visit: “I am obviously pleased that he has accepted my invitation to come here. I thought it was very important that he got a sense of the volume of support that exists in Tottenham, but also beyond, for the people that have been caught up in the last week or so, and also that he met with people that have been directly affected.”

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Theresa May yesterday ruled out the appointment of a US “supercop” as the new head of Scotland Yard. The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has a “unique policing role in relation to national security” and that is why it has always been held by a British national, Mrs May said.

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The Home Secretary’s comments came after former US police chief Bill Bratton, who has extensive experience of tackling gang crime in Los Angeles, said he would “seriously consider” applying for the job if it was opened up to non-Britons.