#prayforlondon Scotland Yard braced for backlash over 'lack of police on streets' and London Fire Brigade criticised for 'not tackling blazes'

Scotland Yard braced for backlash over 'lack of police on streets' and London Fire Brigade criticised for 'not tackling blazes'

• Senior officers complain Met 'rudderless' since Sir Paul Stephenson left
  
• LFB spokesman says firefighters 'may stand back while police tackle violence until it is safe for them to do their job'
• Claims 'heroic mob' Turkish men an 400 Asians chased off gangs of rioters in Dalston and Forest Hill as people defend themselves
  
• Calls for Army to be used to restore order

By Rebecca Camber and Chris Greenwood

Last updated at 3:38 AM on 9th August 2011

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Scotland Yard was braced for a furious backlash over the lack of police officers on the streets last night after rioting engulfed London.

Several flashpoints in the capital were left completely lawless as the thin blue line was stretched beyond breaking point.

Residents questioned why no police officers were available to combat rampant looting as thieves methodically cleared stores.

Thin blue line: The Metropolitan Police has been criticised for not having enough officers on the street and allowing looters free reign

Unopposed: Looters carry off a TV from a shop in Hackney and scenes of such brazen theft have angered many

On the run: Scenes of looters escaping with stock from shops has been commonplace throughout the disturbances so far

Concerns: Senior officers at the Met have expressed fears the force has been left 'rudderless' since the departure of Sir Paul Stephenson

And as fires raged across the capital, the London Fire Service faced criticism for not tackling some fires.

Terrified witnesses compared scenes to a war zone and even called for the Army to be brought in to restore order.

Groups of shopkeepers and young men were forced to take to the streets to fight off rioters to protect businesses in some areas.

The crisis came just weeks after Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and assistant John Yates resigned amid the fall-out from the hacking scandal.

Senior officers have complained that the force has been left 'rudderless and without direction' since Sir Paul suddenly stepped down.

There were questions over whether the fledgling management board were able to settle in to their new roles before the widespread violence.

The force has already endured the revelation that the most senior officer in Haringey left to go on holiday just hours before rioting began on Saturday.

Detective Chief Superintendent Sandra Looby jetted off to Florida despite warnings the police shooting of Mark Duggan could spark violence.

It was also unclear if frontline officers were hamstrung as the disorder spread by fears that their actions could further inflame tensions.

Police remain wary after their operations at demonstrations, including the G20 protests in which Ian Tomlinson died, were roundly criticised.

Smash and grab: In Peckham these rioters escaped with armfuls of clothing

Out shopping? Certain shops were targeted by the mobs, such as this Carhartt outlet store in Hackney

Up to 300 officers had been drafted in from Home Counties forces to bolster the response but they were overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the rioting.

The relative calm in Dalston was laid at the door of 'heroic mobs' of Turkish men standing guard in the high street, one resident said.

While in the busy shopping street of Green Street, in Forest Hill, there were reports that 400 young Asian men had chased off up to 150 rioters.

More...

• Surrender! Powerless police let the mob seize the streets, looting shops and starting fires in their wake
• London burns at hands of the mob as the PM finally flies home: Gangs armed with petrol bombs and poles on THIRD night of riots and cynical looting
• Centuries of business up in flames: The family-run furniture shop razed to the ground by rioters' fire
• We ran for our lives as thugs ambushed bus: Chaos across the capital as orgy of violence rages on

Residents in Clapham, Croydon, Peckham and Hackney complained at the absence of police officers during the worst confrontations.

In Clapham, Owen MacCarthy, 28, a bank worker, said: 'It's disgusting. These kids are out to loot as much as they can and they won't stop until they've got everything.

'I have seen people rob things then go home and come back for more.

'We've been here for an hour and half and we haven't seen a single police officer and these kids have no idea between right and wrong.'

Consideration: The Met are said to be wary after their operations at demonstrations, including the G20 protests in which Ian Tomlinson died, were roundly criticised

In Peckham, onlookers said they feared for their lives as people struggled to get through to emergency services by phone and police took a long time to arrive.

Staff in a branch of Tesco Metro described how they hid as masked looters rampaged through the shop stealing alcohol and food.

The manager said: 'I was locked inside my store for 45 minutes before the police came and let me out.

'We phoned them at seven o'clock and they didn't come until eight. We locked ourselves in the office.

'They kicked the door in and looted everything - it was terrifying. I didn't even know what to do. I had my seven staff inside with me.'

Elizabeth Bonner, 42, from central London, said: 'It's shocking and very scary. The Government shouldn't cut down on the police numbers. There's old people around and they can't get home. It's not right.'

Urgent priority? This Wetherspoon pub in Woolwich, London, was completely gutted by fire but the London Fire Brigade has been criticised by some for not attending incidents quickly enough during the disturbances

People also took to Twitter last night to voice their dissatisfaction with the police response to the London riots.

Former London Mayor advisor Atma Singh tweeted: 'The image of London on TV is lawlessness. The police has a duty to stop the violence & criminals. No excuses for inaction. It's appalling.'

Businessman Andy Bolton added: 'Met Police's inaction demonstrated to thugs & freeloaders thin veneer of civilisation in large metropolis. Insufficient police to protect.'

And James Sheridan tweeted: 'The police need to do *something* - this is spreading because of their inaction. Looters know the Police won't do anything, so it spreads.'

Twitter was also used as a forum to voice dissatisfaction with the London Fire Brigade, which some people felt was not acting soon enough.

HiitmanSweetboi said: 'I guarantee if Scotland Yard had caught a mad fire the fire brigade would be there in less than 5mins !!! But Croydon it took centuries!'

Stretched to thinly? A building burns, in Croydon, watched by a riot officer, but not attended at this moment by firefighters

Others wrote: 'Please, WHY are the fire brigade and the police just casually letting these buildings burn?! Fire spreads!!!!!! #confused?'

One woman said: 'Where is the fire brigade? My sister in law is terrified in a house near that fire, gangs in front of her house no police or fire engines.'

It was claimed that the London Fire Brigade was refusing to answer calls because they were not protected by the police.

But a Fire Brigade Union spokesman denied the claims, saying that it had long been the case that firefighters would always attend, although they may stand back while police tackle violence until it is safe for them to do their job.

He said the procedure was not to put crews unnecessarily at risk of harm during a riot as firefighters may be injured and not being able to do their jobs or risk having their equipment seized.

FBU spokesman Gordon Fielden said: 'I am not aware of any order being given to firefighters to not attend the scene without police protection.

'But we can only do what we are able to do without firefighters being injured.'

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