RIOTS spread across England because cops failed to stamp out the initial disturbances in London, a new report has found.

Widespread disorder broke out when yobs realised police "could not contain" the rioting in Tottenham, north London, at the start of August.

And mass rioting WILL happen again in future unless the authorities toughen up, the review panel decided.

Rampaging thugs smashed up, burned and looted shops, homes and cars in the worst spate of public disorder in living memory.

It quickly spread across the capital and then to other parts of the country as yobs decided to "test reactions" elsewhere.

The Riots Communities and Victims Panel also discovered that NONE of the victims that were questioned have received compensation yet — and still face a long wait for their cash.

In their report, the panel wrote: "Lack of confidence in the police response to the initial riots encouraged people to test reactions in other areas.

"Most of the riots began with some trouble in retail areas with a critical mass of individuals and groups converging on an area.

"Rioters believed they would be able to loot and damage without being challenged by the police. In the hardest-hit areas, they were correct."

The findings were outlined in a series of recommendations in the interim report, which detailed the "sometimes horrifying and tragic" accounts of people's experiences of the disturbances.

The study found there was no one single motivating factor for the riots.

It stated: "We heard a range of motivations from the need for new trainers to a desire to attack society."

In areas unaffected by the rioting, people felt it would have hit them eventually if the disturbances in other areas had continued for much longer.

The panel wrote: "Few people ruled out the prospect of riots in the future.

"Lives were lost. Parents had to carry children out of burning homes, leaving a lifetime of possessions behind to be destroyed.

"Shopkeepers lost everything they had built up over many years. The consequences of the riots are still being felt.

"In many areas, there is an overriding sense of despair that people could destroy their own communities."

The report's recommendations included an overhaul of the 1886 Riot Damages Act to ensure that victims of the riots receive compensation quickly.

The panel had not heard from anyone who had received a payment under the Act. Forecasts are that, by March next year, "barely half" of the smallest and only one in ten of the largest claims will have been paid.

And Darra Singh, chairman of the panel, warned riots will happen again if immediate action is not taken.

He said: "Our findings support the view that had the police response in Tottenham and more widely in London been more robust, the riots would not have spread elsewhere in England.

"Our research has also led us to conclude that riots of this nature will happen again unless immediate action is taken."

The panel estimated that between 13,000 and 15,000 people were "actively involved" in the riots between August 6 and August 10.

More than 4,000 suspected rioters have been arrested, with nine out of ten already known to the police,

More than 5,000 crimes were committed, including five fatalities, 1,860 incidents of arson and criminal damage, 1,649 burglaries, 141 incidents of disorder and 366 incidents of violence against people.

The final bill could be around £500million, with up to £300million of claims under the Riot Damages Act and £50million on policing London.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3964742/Police-blamed-for-the-spread-of-riots-across-England.html



Eh? No. Don't blame police. Blame anyone but the police. Blame the little bastards who think it's fun to smash in shop windows. The the little bitch who appeared on telly to tell us it's all about respect, innit? Blame David Cameron for being more worried about his holiday plans being wrecked than home affairs. Blame Clegg for dithering in his useless little manner. But blame the police for simply following orders and trying to do their job without being prosecuted for doing so later?

Piss off.

The Police have their hands tied, thanks to soft policing by the odious Nu LieBore Gov. CaMoron is no better, his Villa in Tuscany was far more important than people's lives and property.It took him 4 days to get back, then was a useless.

The scummy little chavs who were looting, thieving, killing and burning down people's homes and businesses just laugh at the police, they know they will get away with whatever they do. Makes me sick! Fucked up England, Fucked up Governments and fucked up low class, scummy chave and yobs.

Any research that takes a closer look at the deeper causes of the UK riots should be welcomed. It is just a shame that in the case of the Guardian and LSE report, it simply appears to be making excuses
Don't you just feel sorry for them? No?
Don't you just feel sorry for them? No?
James Hargrave
Written by James Hargrave

on 8 December 2011 at 10am
1 2 3 4 5



After working for eighteen months in two London prisons I am afraid I cannot recall many occasions where the prisoner blamed themselves for their criminal behaviour – in fact as I recall it they either didn’t do it or it was someone else’s fault.

Nonetheless I am passionate about prison reform and have an open mind about addressing offending behaviour. However, even I was left red in the face after having read the Guardians and LSE’s Reading the Riots report, and I had an even higher blood pressure by 11pm thanks to the Newsnight feature on their findings.

To find that many of the rioters interviewed had laid the blame at the feet of police officers should not have come as a surprise – but the credence it seemed to be receiving should. Even in spite of its apologist tone I was left unsure of what reaction it expected to provoke. Was I supposed to empathise with one rioter’s (Alex) wistful nostalgia for the drug and alcohol fuelled camaraderie he experienced? “People were handing me cans – handing me a spliff” - he described it as if it was Glastonbury as opposed to a festival of violence.

I am no stranger to criminals trying to rationalise away their behaviour but you are supposed to challenge them on it – not humour it.

The police obviously experienced significant problems in responding to the riots and there are also significant issues that need to be addressed on their relationship with the communities they police. But if the Guardian thinks it can rewrite the discourse by presenting the rioters as some kind of social victims they can think again.

I obviously accept there were substantial social factors at play in governing their behaviour and there are no simple answers; but I was astounded by some of the report’s testimonial choices. Forgive me for questioning another rioter’s (Daniel) motivations – regardless of how articulately he put them.

He cites his desire for “revenge” as disenfranchisement due to cuts in EMA, benefits and a rise in university tuition fees. Yet he does so in the same breath as claiming he had to fly home from his holidays to take part in the rioting (I hope he at least got some holiday snaps and a nice tan before his return). Hardly the voice of a working class hero.

Over two thirds of the rioters brought to justice had criminal records – that’s only those who have been caught before. Experience would suggest to me that a substantial amount of the other third would be no strangers to the police either.

Although I was angered by some of the case studies, others simply depressed me. One has to accept that any of the rioters who put themselves forward as part of a Guardian research study must have had some level of social awareness.

Jade – a particularly articulate rioter who has aspirations of teaching primary school children – certainly made some comments worthy of dismay. She claimed that the police had no respect for her or her family (even though she acknowledges that her brothers had some history with local police) and therefore why should she respect them. Jade in fact believed burning police cars was a way of earning that respect. It is truly awful that a young aspiring woman even thinks in those terms.

I will continue to believe that a reformative justice system is a crucial cog in the machine of social change – but a panacea it is not. Our criminal justice system is not the cause of the summer riots it is merely what treats the symptoms. The damage is clearly much deeper than that.

I obviously welcome any research that that takes a closer look at those deeper causes. It is just a shame that in this instance it appears to be making excuses. Until then I look forward to the Guardian’s next enlightening piece of research – Turkeys and their dislike of Christmas.

James Hargrave formerly worked as an executive assistant to the governor for learning and skills of HMRPLatchmere House and HMP Wormwood Scrubs. He then moved into a role as a case worker, working with the prison charity PLIAS and the training provider Prospects. He now works as a press officer for the police. He writes here in a personal capacity

Tags: James Hargrave, London rioters are the pampered children of the welfare state, London riots, UK riots, attitudes towards the police, cause of UK riots, guardian, guardian commentator, guardian london school of economics riots uk, police and the riots, riot sentencing, welfare dependency as a cause of UK riots