Police Killing of Mark Duggan, 29, Sparks Rebellion in the Tottenham District of North London

Mark Duggan of England was killed by the police. His death sparked a rebellion in Tottenham located in North London., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

COPS BATTLE RIOT MOBS IN TOTTENHAM

Disorder follows protests over police shooting

POLICE cars were torched, shops looted and a bus burned out as a major riot erupted in North London last night.

Petrol bombs were thrown as hundreds of protesters rampaged in Tottenham, after local anger over the fatal shooting of a young man gangster by cops.

An initially-peaceful demonstration had been held outside a police station on the area's High Road from about 5pm, where locals called for "justice" after the 29-year-old man named as Mark Duggan was killed on Thursday night.

But witnesses said as anger turned to violence, hundreds more protesters appeared on the scene - apparently alerted by people using Twitter.

Police, who had apparently been expecting trouble, responded with hundreds of heavily-protected riot officers as well as mounted police while fire crews struggled to get near the blazes.

It is not believed that any officers were inside the police cars when they were attacked and set on fire.

Looters were reportedly hurrying away from wrecked stores with trolleys loaded with stolen goods.

Live TV pictures showed a double-decker bus first emitting clouds of smoke where Tottenham High St meets Brook St. It then burst into flames which quickly gutted the vehicle, as its fuel tanks exploded.

It is believed the trouble erupted near the Broadwater Farm estate where PC Keith Blakelock was hacked to death by rioters in October 1985.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a large crowd was on the streets last night but not all the onlookers were involved in the disorder. The spokesman said: "A number of bottles were thrown at these two police cars - one was set alight and the second was pushed into the middle of the High Road. It was subsequently set slight."

Local resident Maria Robinson told the BBC the situation was "absolutely manic". She said some rioters were "making bottle bombs" and starting fires.

Another resident, David Akinsanya, 46, said shop windows were smashed. He told the BBC: "It's really bad. I'm feeling unsafe. It looks like it's going to get very tasty. I saw a guy getting attacked."

He added: "There was a line of about 15 riot police in front of the police station on the north side and then there were loads of uniformed officers on the south side of the police station.

"They weren't making any effort to go into the crowd. Every now and again they would rush the crowd and the crowd would run."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is probing the shooting of Mr Duggan. Police say a handgun was found at the scene and a bullet was later found stuck in an officer's radio.