Timeline of the 2011 England riots


In early August 2011, England was struck by riots, the worst in the country in decades. The timeline of the events of the riots spanned from 6–10 August.

Saturday, 6 August

Protest march

On 6 August, an initially peaceful protest was held, beginning at Broadwater Farm and finishing at Tottenham police station. The protest was organised by friends and relatives of Mark Duggan, to assert a perceived unmet need for justice for the family. The rioting occurred shortly after about 120 people marched from Broadwater Farm to Tottenham Police Station via the High Road. The group demanded that a senior local police officer speak to them. They stayed in front of the police station hours longer than originally planned because they were not satisfied with the seniority of the officers available at the time. A younger and more aggressive crowd arrived around dusk, some of whom were armed. Violence broke out following a rumour that police had attacked a 16-year-old girl.

Tottenham

A series of disturbances by people in Tottenham followed the protest march on 6 August. The rioting occurred shortly after about 120 people marched from Broadwater to Tottenham Police Station via the High Road. Tottenham is in the London borough of Haringey, which has the fourth highest level of child poverty in London and 8.8% unemployment.
At 22:15, a gang of youths burned down Tottenham's post office. From around 22:30, attacks were carried out on police cars, a double-decker bus and local businesses and homes. Police vans and officers from the Territorial Support Group attended the disorder on Tottenham High Road. Shops windows were smashed and the shops looted by rioters. Fireworks, petrol bombs and other missiles were thrown at police. Twenty-six officers were injured, including one who sustained head injuries. Firefighters experienced difficulty reaching a burning building because of the disorder.
A BBC News correspondent said his news crew and vehicle came under attack from youths throwing missiles. Some news crews left the scene due to the threat of violence. The police set up a cordon around Tottenham police station and a nearby group of BBC and Sky journalists. Some of the police were on horseback.

Tottenham Hale

The violent clashes were followed by the looting of Tottenham Hale retail park, which continued until dawn without police intervention.

Injuries and arrests

confirmed that ten people had been treated for injuries and that nine were in hospital.

Sunday, 7 August

London incidents

Enfield and Ponders End

On Sunday evening, 7 August, violent disturbances erupted in Enfield, to the north of Tottenham, among a heavy presence of riot police.
Enfield Town centre, Enfield Town Park and alleyways between there and the Palace Garden shopping centre were guarded by police. A heavy police presence was seen outside Enfield Town railway station where people arriving were being searched for security reasons.
Riot police arrived in Enfield Town the afternoon of 7 August as several small groups of hooded youngsters arrived in cars, buses and trains. Around 100 people were waiting in small groups in the vicinity of Enfield Town station in Southbury Road.
Disorder ensued around 5:30 when a police car in Church Street was pelted with bricks. Shops were attacked, including HMV's branch in Church Street. A police helicopter hovered over the area.
At around 19:00, police pushed a group of around thirty youths back onto Southbury Road towards the junction with Great Cambridge Road. Police dogs were deployed at the scene. Similar action drove back approximately 50 people along Southbury Road via Queens Street, after a preceding clash with rioters outside a supermarket.
At 19:30, both Metropolitan Police officers and reinforcements from Kent Police cordoned off Enfield, making a "sterile area" to deal with local disturbances, including robberies at Enfield Retail Park.
The scenes of Enfield were "reminiscent of Tottenham, though smaller."

Brixton

Looting spread to Brixton that evening. Six fire engines fought a blaze at a Foot Locker shoe shop in Brixton. Riot police and youths clashed near a local Currys store that was broken into during the disturbances. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, a local resident described "hundreds" of men and women entering the electrical shop and emerging with TVs and other electrical goods. When police arrived, the looters attacked, throwing rocks and the contents of rubbish bins at officers. A branch of Halfords was targeted and looted by youths.
One Brixton resident said: "People were coming to Brixton from outside the area. I was getting out of Brixton Tube last night about 22:30 and going up the escalator when about 10 teenagers ran up the escalator and pushed me to one side." By 11:57, both Tesco and Foot Locker were targeted by looters. Lambeth Council's leader, Councillor Steve Reed said of the mobs in Streatham, "They were looters not rioters."

Wood Green

Disorder broke out in Wood Green, two miles from Tottenham, during the early hours of 7 August. Widespread looting involved around 100 youths who targeted high-street game shops, electrical shops and clothing chains. Others ransacked local shops on Wood Green High Road. A family-run jeweller was hit.
By 20:00, major rioting had spread to Wood Green, with riot police on hand. Again, the police did not intervene to stop the looting. The mostly Turkish and Kurdish shop owners along Wood Green, Turnpike Lane and Green Lanes, Harringay, formed local 'protection units' around their shops.

Other areas

On 7 August, riots led to the cancellation of the Hackney One Carnival and Parks for Life Festival in Clissold Park, Stoke Newington.

Political and legal response

was launched to investigate the cause of Mark Duggan's fatal shooting and the subsequent riots. According to a statement by the Metropolitan Police Service, Operation Withern was being led by Detective Superintendent John Sweeney of the Metropolitan Police Service, and is made up of detectives from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, specialist investigators from the Public Order Branch and police support staff.
The MP for Brent North, Barry Gardiner, said that community involvement there had so far prevented riots.
The Mayor Of London, Boris Johnson, revealed that he had provided an extra £42,000,000 to the Metropolitan Police during the previous year to increase police numbers in London.

Police

Officers from North Yorkshire Police responded to the request to assist their colleagues in London.

Monday, 8 August

London

By 07:59, the Metropolitan Police Commander Christine Jones said: "This is a challenging situation with small pockets of violence, looting and disorder breaking out on a number of boroughs." Jewellery shops across Tottenham, Enfield and Wood Green suffered break-ins. The Victoria line was closed between Stockwell and Brixton "due to civil unrest", according to London Underground. Angel, Islington, Stoke Newington and Wood Green were in police lockdown. All 32 boroughs of London were placed on riot alert.

Croydon

Police closed the entire area around West Croydon station on the evening of 8 August. Bricks, bottles, stones and fireworks were thrown at police. Looted shops included branches of Argos, Iceland, House of Fraser, Orange, Maplin Electronics and Tesco. Purley Way stores Best Buy, PC World and Comet were heavily looted for electronics. Many other small businesses were also affected.
A large furniture shop, House of Reeves, which had been in Croydon since 1867, was burned to the ground. Arsonists struck later that night and destroyed another building in the Reeves Corner district of Croydon. A Sky News satellite van came under attack and many shops, cars and buses were set alight in West Croydon. At 19:45, Croydon Advertiser reporter Gareth Davies was mugged while reporting in Surrey Street and Church Street.
A 26-year-old man from Brixton, Trevor Ellis, was shot and killed in South Croydon on Warrington Road. Police believe he was shot after a car chase following an argument over stolen goods, but as of August 2012 had not charged any suspects.
In February 2012, the Croydon Advertiser reported an investigation was underway following reports that only 3% of the police attended to the riots in Croydon whilst others were deployed elsewhere.

Ealing

Some Ealing businesses were asked by police to close at 5 pm. On Ealing Broadway a group of 200 people attacked police cars and vandalised and looted shops.
Around Haven Green, close to Ealing Broadway tube station, cars and a bus were set alight and many other cars vandalised, shops had their windows smashed, a supermarket was looted and nearby residential properties were burgled. Near Ealing Green more shops were looted, several cars torched and a supermarket set alight with petrol bombs. Rioters attempting to vandalise two pubs in this area were dissuaded by the customers and staff. Hundreds of young people looted shops in West Ealing. There was minor trouble in Ealing Green. A 68-year-old man, Richard Bowes, was assaulted and robbed when he tried to remonstrate with rioters. He was said to be attempting to put out a fire when he was attacked. He was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, and died three days later. His killer, Darell Desuze, was sentenced to eight years’ detention.

London Borough of Enfield

On the morning of 8 August several shops in Enfield Town and in the nearby A10 retail park were vandalised and looted, and two vehicles set ablaze. A large crowd of youths moved westwards, toward nearby Ponders End and wrecked a local Tesco. Hundreds of riot police and canine units arrived with vans and charged at groups of teenagers until they dispersed, smashing cars and shop windows on the way. A large Sony distribution centre was set alight and the fire destroyed the building. Three Watford fire engines were called to the Sony warehouse in Enfield at about 03.30 the next day.

Elsewhere in London

Officers from North Yorkshire Police responded to requests to assist their colleagues in London. A statement by North Yorkshire Police's Temporary Deputy Chief Constable, Tim Madgwick, said:
North Yorkshire Police continue to monitor the aftermath of the disorder affecting other parts of the country, and we can confirm that to date, there are no reports of any similar incidents in North Yorkshire.

The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Civil Contingencies and Public Order Planning Unit sent a Police Support Unit to London. Custody space in Bedfordshire cells and call taking support was also offered.

Richard Mannington Bowes

Bowes was a 68-year-old British retired accountant who died as a result of being attacked in the street in Ealing. He was the fifth fatality related to events associated with the riots. He was attacked by a mob on 8 August 2011, while attempting to extinguish an arson fire in industrial bins on Spring Bridge Road. The attack left him in a coma. The assault was caught on CCTV and filmed on mobile phones by associates of the man who hit him.
Police officers arrived at 10:45pm in response to reports of looting at the Arcadia shopping centre. They were not wearing protective gear and were outnumbered by approximately 120 rioters. The attack on Bowes was witnessed by several police officers, but they were unable to respond in time. They requested assistance as they were showered with bottles and bricks. Riot squad officers who responded had to push back rioters while being attacked to reach Bowes. A line of officers then held back the rioters as paramedics arrived.
Bowes was found without a wallet or phone as they had been stolen, and police initially faced difficulty in identifying him. He died of his injuries in St Mary's Hospital on 11 August 2011 after being removed from life support.
A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder, rioting and committing three burglaries; he was released on bail. A 16-year-old boy was arrested for Bowes' murder and for burglary.
Bowes had moved to Ealing in 1994. He lived alone in a flat in Haven Green. He was described as quiet and shy and a loner. He is reported to have previously challenged anti-social behaviour in the area. On one occasion, ten years earlier, he was fined for confronting youths who were urinating outside his home.
Revulsion at Bowes's death was widespread. Ealing Council flew the Union Flag at half-mast over its town hall as a mark of respect. It also announced that it was launching the Richard Mannington Bowes Relief Fund in his memory.
Bowes was hailed as a hero for his actions by the media and politicians. Mayor Johnson was particularly vocal: "I feel desperately sorry and sad for him, and what a hero he is. He walked straight up in front of the looters and tried to stop what was happening. He is an example to everybody."

Tuesday, 9 August

Early hours

wrote "Not since the blitz during World War II have so many fires raged in London so intensely at one time".

London Borough of Enfield

Looters burned a Sony-owned warehouse in Solar Way, Enfield which acted as the primary distribution hub for the independent music distributor PIAS Entertainment Group.

London Borough of Havering

In the morning, youths formed groups of 10 to 12 in areas across Havering, including Romford, Hornchurch, Collier Row, Rainham, Harold Hill and Upminster, a police spokesman said, but officers dispersed groups or issued street warnings and spot deterrents.
Arrests took place for low-level crimes like spitting at an officer and ABH, since officers were highly visible. Around 50 special police volunteers responded, helping to man potentially volatile situations.
Fire crews reported a quiet night. Three Watford fire engines were called to the continuing Sony warehouse fire in Enfield at about 03.30 that day.

London Borough of Merton

Looting continued throughout the early hours within the Tandem Centre and Priory retail estates in Merton. Police withdrew after coming under attack from a group of over 100 people. Mothercare, JD Sports and PC World were targeted, with Mothercare and Harveys the victims of arson. Police retook the retail parks approximately 3 hour after their withdrawal. Sporadic looting was reported, with convenience stores in Phipps Bridge and a Betting shop in Mitcham was looted.

Elsewhere in London

London
Rest of England
The fire crews from Richmond and Twickenham helped put out fires in neighbouring boroughs as rioting spread across London. Richmond's red watch was called to Merton where they tackled a blaze at Priory retail estate in Colliers Wood.

Night

London

Prime Minister David Cameron returned early from his Italian holiday and chaired an emergency meeting of COBR, following the third night of violence. In a statement at 11:00, Cameron announced that 16,000 police officers would be deployed in London, with all police leave cancelled. He announced that Parliament would be recalled on 11 August to debate the situation. Over 525 people had been arrested since the start of the disruption, and the Metropolitan Police have announced their intention to use baton rounds against rioters if necessary. East Ham's Labour MP Stephen Timms and Newham's Mayor Robin Wales praised police for their efforts that day.

Police

Officers from the Thames Valley, Essex, Kent, City of London, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey and Sussex police constabularies sent officers to help tackle the London riots.

Arrests

By 9 August 2011 563 arrests had been made in London since the start of the disruption, and 100 arrests made in Birmingham.
A 16-year-old boy was charged with breach of the peace in connection with a message inciting rioting in Scotland on a social networking site. The boy was detained on the south side of Glasgow about 12.40 over the Facebook page entitled "Let's Start a Riot in Glasgow", which was related to a similar site called "Glasgow Riot FRIDAY 12TH". Both the sites were shuttered.

Wednesday, 10 August

David Cameron chaired another emergency meeting of COBRA, mid-morning. In a statement at 11:05, Cameron announced that plastic bullets were available to the police for use in response to the riots if necessary, and put contingency plans in place to make water cannons available at 24 hours notice.
shop in Croydon
The leader of Hounslow Council, Councillor Jagdish Sharma, urged local residents to "continue to refrain" from taking part in the London riots that had so far not hit the London Borough of Hounslow.
The Acting Scotland Yard Commissioner Tim Godwin condemned the "gratuitous" violence by the rioters.
The assistant chief constable of Norfolk police, Charlie Hall, slammed people who used Twitter and Facebook to post "fictitious and malicious rumours" that the riots had moved to many to safe, including Norwich. Looters had never struck either in Anglia Square or at PC World.

Public response

The family of Mark Duggan said they "are not condoning" the riots and looting that rocked north London, that left 26 police officers injured.
Local Christians gathered in Derby's Market Place yesterday to hold a prayer meeting to ask for God's help and love towards all those involved in the riots.

Weather

Persistent heavy rain reduced the numbers of rioters or wandering groups on the streets.

Arrests

By 08:05, police had made more than 1,100 arrests, including 768 in London, 35 in Liverpool, 5 in Milton Keynes, 90 in Nottingham, 13 in Leicester and 19 in Bristol. By 15:00, the police had made 113 arrests in Greater Manchester.

Aftermath

Thursday, 11 August

Incidents

was recalled from its summer recess.
Cameron told lawmakers there would be no "culture of fear" on Britain's streets, and that the government would consider taking gang-fighting tips from American cities such as Boston. He mentioned former Los Angeles and New York Police Chief Bill Bratton as someone who could offer advice. He said he also wanted to build on the success of programmes to tackle gang culture, such as the task force used by Strathclyde Police. Both Theresa May and Cameron accused the Metropolitan Police service and the West Midlands Police force of being "too few, too slow, too timid" during the rioting in London and the West Midlands county. He said the police on the streets of London were too few and used poor and incorrect tactics when dealing with the rioters.
Cameron said that the government, police and intelligence services were looking at whether there should be limits on the use of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook or services such as BlackBerry Messenger to spread organised disorder, and whether to turn off social networks or stop texting during times of social unrest.

Arrests

The number of arrestees in London rose to 922 and 401 suspects had been charged.
The police said they had arrested 330 people over the past four nights. One of the arrested people was an 11-year-old girl from Nottingham.

Friday, 12 August

The Prime Minister promised to use the Riot Damages Act, to cover uninsured facilities and buildings and set up a £20,000,000 fund for High Street businesses to use relief following riots.
Of more than one thousand people arrested during the three days of troubles in London, about six hundred had been charged by 12 August.

IPCC investigation

The IPCC watchdog admitted that it inadvertently led media to believe shots were exchanged and that Mark Duggan was carrying a gun that was never used.

Saturday, 13 August

Police forces around England, and especially those in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham increased their numbers on the streets. Bill Bratton was announced as Cameron's new crime adviser.

Sunday, 14 August

An estimated 2,000 people joined a vigil in Summerfield Park and laid flowers in memory of officers men who died protecting shops from looters in Winson Green, Birmingham. They were victims of a hit and run attack.
Scotland Yard stated that 2,140 people had been arrested, of whom about 1,000 had been charged.

Tuesday, 16 August

The Deputy PM Nick Clegg said that the government would set up an independent "community and victims panel" to look into the riots. He pledged that when an offender who leaves prison from March 2012 they will be met by providers on the Work Programme at the prison gate.
A 16-year-old from Hounslow was to be tried for the murder of Richard Mannington Bowes as well as violent disorder and four counts of burglary relating to the looting at a William Hill bookmakers, a Tesco Express, a Blockbuster video shop and a Fatboys restaurant.
Martin McRobb, the Crown Advocate for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, read out in Chester court that "Jordan Blackshaw and Perry Sutcliffe independently and from the safety of their homes may have thought that it would be acceptable to set up a Facebook page to incite others to take part in disorders in Cheshire." Cheshire Constabulary had discovered that they used a Facebook group that Blackshaw created to promote the rioting. Blackshaw was from Northwich and Sutcliffe was from Warrington.

Wednesday, 17 August

The Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, David Ward, described government plans to withdraw benefits from convicted rioters as "nuts". Cameron defended the scheme.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited areas of London, including the Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, which was transformed into an aid centre in the aftermath of the rioting.

Saturday, 20 August

released pictures of gunmen shooting at police officers in both Birmingham and Wolverhampton. A police helicopter was shot at in the Newton part of Birmingham.

Monday, 29 August 2011

Jae-Kiel Van Eda, 28, was arrested after participating in an act in which 2 constables were hit by a green Citroen while they were dealing with reports of a group looting a clothes shop in Waltham Forest, north-east London on 8 August. One officer suffered knee and leg injuries and the other shoulder injuries.

Wednesday, 31 August 2011

As of 31 August, a total of 2,987 were arrested and an estimated £100m of damage recorded in 93 shops and other premises.