LONDON: British police arrested more than 100 people overnight in London after shops were looted and officers attacked in a second night of violence that followed some of the worst disorder seen in the capital for years. Nine police were injured in what police called "copycat criminality" in several parts of London on Sunday night, although the damage appeared to be on a much smaller scale than
Saturday's rioting in Tottenham, in the north of the capital.
London's Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse blamed the violence on a relatively small number of criminals motivated by greed rather than worries about the conduct of the police or wider social problems caused by Britain's sluggish economic recovery. "This is quite a small group of people within our community in London who ... are frankly looking for stuff to nick (steal).
They are picking particular kinds of stores, whether it's because they want a new set of trainers or whatever," he told Sky News.
Police Commander Christine Jones said there had been "sporadic disorder" in a number of boroughs through the night, with more than 100 people detained, on top of the 61 arrested on
Saturday night and Sunday morning. The first night of rioting began after a vigil for a 29-year-old man shot dead by police as they tried to arrest him in Tottenham on Thursday. Britain's police watchdog is investigating the incident.
On Sunday night, police said there was more looting in north, east and south London. Around 50 youths damaged shops in Oxford Street, one of the main shopping districts in central
London. In Brixton, south London, several shops were looted and police kept the area cordoned off on Monday morning.
Politicians and police blamed the first night of violence on criminal thugs but residents attributed it to local tensions and anger over hardship. (Reuters)
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