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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Shops and cars torched in Salford and Manchester | Shops and cars torched in Salford and Manchester |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Crowds of youths have set fire to buildings and cars in Manchester and Salford. | Crowds of youths have set fire to buildings and cars in Manchester and Salford. |
| One crowd marched into Salford's main shopping centre and began smashing shop windows and stealing alcohol. | One crowd marched into Salford's main shopping centre and began smashing shop windows and stealing alcohol. |
| A separate crowd in Manchester's Market Street has set fire to a Miss Selfridge shop. | |
| A BBC radio car has also been set on fire in Salford and a TV cameramen has been attacked. | |
| It was reported that cheers went up from the crowd of about 200, some of whom carried sticks, as the window was smashed of the Bang & Olufsen store, off King Street, in Manchester. | It was reported that cheers went up from the crowd of about 200, some of whom carried sticks, as the window was smashed of the Bang & Olufsen store, off King Street, in Manchester. |
| 'Completely looted' | |
| Looters carried out a widescreen TV while others took smaller electrical items. | Looters carried out a widescreen TV while others took smaller electrical items. |
| One eyewitness told the BBC News Channel: "It's kicking off now the police are running at me. The police are coming at us now with batons." | |
| In Salford, another eye witness, Tom Steedman, said: "A big group of rioters started attacking some police who were defending the Lidl store. | |
| "They actually managed to drive the police back who are now nowhere in sight. They then proceeded to smash through all the shutters on the store. It's been completely looted and then they set the store on fire." | |
| At the sound of police sirens the crowds in Manchester, which included small children on bikes, dispersed down side streets, but reconvened to march down Princess Street towards John Dalton Street. | |
| Looters then ransacked the Tesco Express store on Princess Street. | Looters then ransacked the Tesco Express store on Princess Street. |
| Large groups of people also gathered along Deansgate with looters helping themselves to bottles of alcohol from Sainsbury's Local at the corner of Bridge Street. | |
| 'Hundreds of kids' | |
| The gangs ran off when three police vans arrived. | |
| Gary Gray, who lives in Manchester city centre, said he watched as crowds headed towards him and broke into shops. | |
| "There's hundreds of kids here. I have not seen much looting, but people are just breaking stuff rather than taking things," he said. | |
| "I think most of the shops were prepared and took things out of their displays. | |
| "There are not too many people around apart from the mob and the police and the mob is made up of smaller groups. | |
| "There's way more of them than there are police. There's no way that the police can control it. | |
| "The mob are turning on other people too. I got chased for taking pictures with my phone. They're chasing other people who are taking pictures and I saw a couple of students getting mugged." | |
| BBC political correspondent Arif Ansari said a cameraman was set upon just before crowds began attacking a Bargain Booze store and The Money Shop in Salford Precinct. | BBC political correspondent Arif Ansari said a cameraman was set upon just before crowds began attacking a Bargain Booze store and The Money Shop in Salford Precinct. |
| The radio car, belonging to BBC Radio Manchester, was set alight along with a vehicle belonging to a reporter. No radio journalists have been injured. | The radio car, belonging to BBC Radio Manchester, was set alight along with a vehicle belonging to a reporter. No radio journalists have been injured. |
| The old library building and some council offices in Salford have also been set alight. | The old library building and some council offices in Salford have also been set alight. |
| Crowds had gathered around Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens from late afternoon ahead of the disorder in Market Street near the landmark Primark store. | Crowds had gathered around Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens from late afternoon ahead of the disorder in Market Street near the landmark Primark store. |
| Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has stopped all trams and buses from operating in the city and said hundreds of riot police had attempted to move crowds on. | Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has stopped all trams and buses from operating in the city and said hundreds of riot police had attempted to move crowds on. |
| 'It is hostile' | 'It is hostile' |
| Mr Ansari said the crowds responsible for the damage in Salford Precinct had gathered earlier on a roundabout to the south of the precinct and then moved in, chanting as they went. | Mr Ansari said the crowds responsible for the damage in Salford Precinct had gathered earlier on a roundabout to the south of the precinct and then moved in, chanting as they went. |
| He said: "I'm just shaken because my cameraman has just been attacked and there's no police presence here. | He said: "I'm just shaken because my cameraman has just been attacked and there's no police presence here. |
| "They're now looting Bargain Booze and there's a very large crowd here and it is hostile." | "They're now looting Bargain Booze and there's a very large crowd here and it is hostile." |
| BBC reporter Richard Stead, who witnessed the stand-off at the north of the precinct, said GMP had deployed six Tactical Aid Unit vehicles to the area where about 100 spectators, including women and children, had gathered. | BBC reporter Richard Stead, who witnessed the stand-off at the north of the precinct, said GMP had deployed six Tactical Aid Unit vehicles to the area where about 100 spectators, including women and children, had gathered. |
| He said: "The tension is palpable and there is another group of 12 and 13-year-olds on bikes looking on." | |
| But the force said in a Twitter feed: "Reports of a 'stand off' between gangs and police in Salford exaggerated. 20 or so youths dispersed by police - one brick thrown, no injuries." | But the force said in a Twitter feed: "Reports of a 'stand off' between gangs and police in Salford exaggerated. 20 or so youths dispersed by police - one brick thrown, no injuries." |
| A security spokesman at Salford Precinct said a group of 20 children had rampaged through the shopping centre at about 15:20 BST, knocking over bins and shoplifting. | A security spokesman at Salford Precinct said a group of 20 children had rampaged through the shopping centre at about 15:20 BST, knocking over bins and shoplifting. |
| One eyewitness to the incident, which is believed to have involved 12 officers with riot shields and batons, said youths had been throwing bricks. | |
| Another eyewitness said: "The cops have been fast enough to stop things and nothing really is happening now." | Another eyewitness said: "The cops have been fast enough to stop things and nothing really is happening now." |
| 'Wanton violence' | 'Wanton violence' |
| Salford and Eccles Labour MP Hazel Blears said she had been told by GMP that it was determined to "nip the disorder in the bud". | Salford and Eccles Labour MP Hazel Blears said she had been told by GMP that it was determined to "nip the disorder in the bud". |
| She said: "In the past we have had anti-social behaviour out of control, but we got a grip of that and this behaviour is just mindless and pointless. | She said: "In the past we have had anti-social behaviour out of control, but we got a grip of that and this behaviour is just mindless and pointless. |
| "The vast majority of people are great citizens in Salford and Eccles." | "The vast majority of people are great citizens in Salford and Eccles." |
| The Arndale Centre in Manchester city centre closed early after a gang of about 25 youths ran in and attempted to break down the shutters of JD Sports. | The Arndale Centre in Manchester city centre closed early after a gang of about 25 youths ran in and attempted to break down the shutters of JD Sports. |
| Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: "As we have said, we will not allow such mindless criminal damage and wanton violence to go unpunished and we will arrest and prosecute anyone found to be involved in looting or acts of criminal damage." | |