Police on streets after rioting

7 August 2011 Last updated at 04:35 ET

Cars and buildings were set alight during the violence

Emergency services remain on the streets of Tottenham, north London, after rioting saw police attacked and buildings and vehicles set alight.

Overnight eight officers were injured in the violence which erupted following a protest over the fatal shooting by police of Mark Duggan on Thursday.

Police said there were still “pockets of criminality” on Sunday morning and residents reported more looting.

The London Fire Brigade said crews were dampening down the scene of some fires.

A spokesman said all the fires were under control “at the moment”.

Riot police have been replaced by reinforcements from Kent, who are manning a cordon around the scene of the violence.

A Downing Street spokesman described the rioting as “utterly unacceptable”.

“There is no justification for the aggression the police and the public faced, or for the damage to property. There is now a police investigation into the rioting and we should let that process happen.”

‘Calm and normality’

Commander Stephen Watson, of the Metropolitan Police, earlier told BBC News a significant number of officers had been deployed with the aim of restoring “calm and normality to the area as soon as possible”.

Mr Watson said police did not have warnings of last night’s level of disorder, despite being aware of raised tensions after Mr Duggan’s death.

“What we experienced earlier on yesterday evening was a peaceful protest outside Tottenham police station – there was no indication it would deteriorate in this way. For those who involved themselves in this level of violence, there is no excuse.”

The BBC’s Andy Moore says that since riots in 1985 relations between the local community and police have been generally good, but last week’s shooting raised tension.

He says elements of the community were looking for instant answers but the investigation into Mr Duggan’s death would be more long-term.

Riot police and mounted police were called in after the protest deteriorated into violence about 20:20 BST.

Rioters threw petrol bombs at police and buildings. A double-decker bus was set on fire at the junction of High Road and Brook Street and buildings including a supermarket and carpet shop were also set alight.

Shops in the area were looted, with people seen pushing away shopping trolleys full of goods. One local resident told the BBC that looting continued beyond daybreak on Sunday.

The London Ambulance Service said a total of 10 people had been treated and nine had been taken to hospital. At least one of the injured police officers had suffered head injuries.

Mark Duggan shooting

A friend of Mr Duggan, who gave her name as Niki, 53, said those who had joined Saturday’s protest, which began with a march from Broadwater Farm area, wanted “justice for the family”.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the shooting.

A police officer was also injured in the incident, which happened when police stopped a minicab containing Mr Duggan.

Tottenham MP David Lammy on Saturday said the scenes overnight on Saturday were “not representative of the vast majority of people in Tottenham”.

“The Tottenham community and Mark Duggan’s family and friends need to understand what happened on Thursday evening when Mark lost his life. To understand those facts, we must have calm.”

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