I can't believe that we can't go in stronger to disperse the rioters - rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons etc.

In fact, I can't believe that we don't have this kind of gear available to our police officers (wherever they are in the country) for this kind of thing.

I wish the media would stop saying looting - it's theft. It's nothing more than theft/stealing/buglary - start using the right word... looting almost makes it sound acceptable...

Personally, I think anyone caught/arrested as a rioter should have their name/address blacklisted by the emergency services. You want to fight against the police? You want to throw things at firemen and paramedics? Fine, just don't expect help when it's your house on fire/when you need the police/an ambulance.

As a country, we are way too soft on scumbags like this.

In France there is a section of the police called the CRS who are frankly scary - I saw them in action in `68. They are the ones sent in to quell riots, because the ordinary bobby - as in the UK - is not trained for a military level of action.
Facing a mob is not a task for people who are trained to keep the peace with one eye on the Human Rights legislation and a sympathetic attitude to Community Relations.

Indeed. I have been in contact with the Spanish Police in Barcelona during a football game. When 'normal' police officers are wearing balaclavas and carrying machine guns, there isn't a lot of trouble....

What really makes me so very angry is the people on the tv sticking up for these looters and vandals..."oh they are upset with the government, they've been let down as there aren't any jobs for them"

Big deal, join the army or do voluntary work, these people are often too happy to sit on their backsides whilst claiming dole money and they think they are owed something for nothing...many of us have been out of work at some point during our lives....did I go out and set fire to places or steal? No, I did voluntary work and then found a job making and delivering pizzas...a far cry from the managing a recruitment agency and international banking that I had always been used to but a job was a job as far as I was concerned.

I would like to see all the trouble makers identified and punished, not just a slap on the wrist and a few hours community service...how are they going to learn that what they have done is so very wrong and has put lives in danger, both those in the police that are trying to do their jobs, and the innocent that are caught up in it all through no fault of their own?

It's about time this country stopped their softly softly approach, that's why we are inundated with immigrants...they get everything handed to them on a plate without ever having to give anything in return and now the country is suffering

my brother lives in ealing hes just off to help clean up,nice to see the pm at last come home !!!!
this has nothing to do with the young guy getting shot just an excuse for thugs and gangs to rob and burn buildings down.
seen pics of people having to take their clothes off to give to these idiots, and app they kicked in a door of a lady with a bay took the baby for an hour before giving it back! whats that all about? love they neighbour???

It's disgusting the way these people believe they have a right to behave like this

My brother is currently in Afghan and has seen his friends/colleagues brought back in body bags but no-one seems to care they get a 30 second slot on the news now but these hooligans get all the news - somethings not right somewhere!

I wish I could believe they will be brought to justice but the Oh so brave hooligans cover their faces -If they really believed they would stand up and be proud - they are nothing more than cowards and scum.

{{hugs}} to everyone caught up in this and I really hope you and your families/friends make it through ok

agree with scorpio i have teenagers and they are still at school but have jobs maybe only poo picking horses fields but they get paid £5 an hour its a job these people are just bloody lazy go and volunteer somewhere

This is what happens when you marginalize and ignore impoverished communities and then start taking away their benefits. Their behaviour is abhorrent and inexcusable, but hardly surprising. Most of these people will have no self respect, no future, no empathy, and therefore nothing to loose by rioting.
I sincerely hope that justice is done to the perpetrators. But I can't help but feel that this is just a symptom of a much wider problem, and until we, as a nation, attack the cause at it's roots these issues will only continue to get worse.

Excuses ,,Excuses , Excuses.... being poor and having benifits taken away does not give you a reason to burn down other peoples (who are in the same situations) homes, with people having to jump out of windows to escape the inferno

Being poor is not something new and exclusive to this generation, people in this country have been there done that in generations before, and they did not go round burning and looting to make their point.

These peopel are criminals with criminal mentality, I agree they have no respect for others, but thats not down to having their benifits cut........its anarchy plain and simple", led by a lack of morality and respect for others!

I hope with all thew CCTV that has been taken, they pay with their freedom for the deeds they have done.

Sorry, cannot agree with this at all.

Since when is destruction of property, attacking emergency services, theft etc. a product of impoverished communities? There is no excuse.

We do not live in a dictatorship, with secret police and torture chambers round every corner, like Sadaam's Iraq. We do not live in a country where families have to sift through immense landfill sites and rubbish dumps to find food.
We do not live in a constant warzone, terrorised by militant religious fanatics, worried about bombs, rockets and mines.

Despite times being hard for everyone (impoverished communities?), we live in one of this worlds better countries. We have free healthcare, freedom of speech, there is food in the shops, clean water and there are jobs. The majority of people are living in houses, with central heating and electricity.

There is NO excuse.

Our only issue is having a police force constrained by Diversity Training, Positive Discrimination, Neighbourhood Policing and Community Engagement. Having a police force constrained by budget cuts and redundancies, afraid to actually police the streets.