UK riots: trouble flares in Salford, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich

Two cars set on fire in West Bromwich, shops attacked in Wolverhampton and police vans pelted with stones in Salford Trouble flared in three more areas of England early on Tuesday evening as youths took to the streets in Wolverhampton and West Bromwich and tried to attack a shopping centre in Salford. Two cars were set on fire in West Bromwich where shops closed early in the afternoon after rumours of trouble circulated online. West Midlands police advised people to avoid the high street and inner ring road and to keep away from the Dudley Street area of central Wolverhampton, where a mob attacked three shops. In central Manchester a gang set fire to a Miss Selfridge shop. In Salford, officers in riot gear confronted about 70 teenagers who tried to break into a closed shopping centre and pelted armoured police vans with stones. Terry Sweeney, assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester police, said on the force’s Twitter feed : “Aware of pockets of minor disorder in Salford city centre. Advising people to stay out of city centre but also keep calm.” The trouble followed the increasingly familiar pattern of large groups of young people gathering after messages by text, Twitter or BlackBerry Messenger and targeting shops before police arrived in strength. The Labour MP for West Bromwich East, Tom Watson, said: “The messages can be distributed very quickly. I think that should probably have an impact on the way we do future policing.” Police are also using social network sites and the West Midlands force tweeted during the afternoon to calm fears, saying that an Asda in Wolverhampton that closed early was not acting on police advice. Seven more people were arrested in connection with violence on Monday night in Birmingham. Twenty premises were raided and five men and two women held for questioning about suspected burglary and violent disorder. Electrical goods, sportswear and designer clothes were taken from some of the addresses for comparisons with looted stores’ lists of stolen goods. West Midlands police have issued CCTV images of suspects in the violence, as have Avon and Somerset police, who are investigating attacks on shops in Bristol on Monday night. The Bristol pictures show youths grabbing jewellery from Thomas Sabo’s in Cabot Circus after a hammer was used to smash the main window at 2.23am. A police spokeswoman said: “Evidence-gatherers were present and the footage taken is being examined. We are also scrutinising CCTV images and will relentlessly pursue anyone believed to be involved in the incidents. “In the coming days we will be releasing more CCTV of people we wish to identify and will be out arresting the people involved.” Extra police officers have gone on duty in Liverpool where the deputy chief constable of Merseyside, Bernard Lawson, said: “We are determined to deal with any further incidents. We are putting in an enhanced and robust police response to deal with any issues that may occur in future nights.” Some 300 youths armed with golf clubs, baseball bats and stones attacked shops and flats in the city’s Georgian quarter on Monday night. Lawson said: “Let me be clear to those people engaged in violence and disorder on the streets of Merseyside: we will use every possible piece of evidence to catch you and put you before the courts.” Steve Munby, Liverpool city council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, joined in a community clean-up with local residents after the trouble. He said the gangs were led by “a small group of organised criminals determined to loot and rob” who had come from outside the Toxteth ward, which he represents. UK riots Manchester Crime Martin Wainwright Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 9, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.