Eight officers hurt as riots erupt

Aug 7 2011

Eight police officers, including one with head injuries, are in hospital after being injured during riots in north London, Scotland Yard said.

The disturbances broke out after members of the community took to the streets in Tottenham to demand "justice" on Saturday night, after Mark Duggan, 29, was shot dead by police on Thursday.

A spokeswoman for London Ambulance Service said 10 people had been treated so far and nine of them had been taken to hospital. She did not know the extent of the injuries. It was also not clear how many of the officers were among the people taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service.

The riots saw buildings and vehicles set alight, including patrol cars and a double-decker bus, and shops were looted as police in riot gear arrived on the scene. Hundreds of people gathered in the street, including mounted police, as smoke poured into the air from the lighted bus. Fire engines descended on the scene and thunderflashes were thrown at police on horseback.

After sections of Tottenham High Road were cleared of protesters, pockets of trouble continued to flare in nearby areas, a Scotland Yard spokesman said. Two vans were reported to have been set ablaze in nearby Rheola Close, and Sky News said that its reporter and cameraman had to withdraw from the area over safety fears.

The violence erupted after around 120 people marched from the local Broadwater Farm area to Tottenham Police Station on Saturday, forcing officers to close the High Road and put traffic diversions in place. After night fell, two police cars parked about 200 yards from the police station were set upon.

A family friend of Mr Duggan, who gave her name only as Nikki, 53, said the man's friends and relatives had organised the protest because "something has to be done" and the marchers wanted "justice for the family."

As the scenes of violence escalated, local MP David Lammy appealed for calm, saying in a statement that the events were "not representative of the vast majority of people in Tottenham". He added: "Those who remember the destructive conflicts of the past will be determined not to go back to them. We already have one grieving family in our community and further violence will not heal that pain. True justice can only follow a thorough investigation of the facts.

Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne, of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), said in a statement: "I understand the distress that the shooting of Mark Duggan has caused to his family and in the community and that people need answers about what happened to him. We are still gathering evidence and will release further details about our progress with the investigation as soon as we can."