Outnumbered police feared for their lives during last summer’s riots

Emma Bartholomew, Senior Reporter Tuesday, July 3, 2012
10:33 AM

An in-depth study into the experiences of police officers caught up in last summer’s riots, revealed they were vastly outnumbered, leaving many to fear for their lives.

Some 130 officers were interviewed for the study, Reading The Riots, which was conducted by the London School of Economics and the Guardian newspaper.

Their accounts revealed senior officers were astonished no police died during the unrest, which saw four consecutive nights of looting and arson around the country.

Officers of all ranks were shocked and surprised by the extent and nature of the violence directed at them, as well as the speed with which it escalated.

Many of them described it as the “greatest physical and psychological challenge” of their careers.

Many officers from all ranks expect a repeat of the riots, and are concerned they may not have the resources to cope with future unrest on such a scale.

The riots broke out in Tottenham on August 6, two days after the fatal shooting by police of 29-year-old Mark Duggan, and two days later the unrest spread south to Hackney, before reaching other parts of London and the UK.

Five people died and more than 4,000 suspects have since been arrested.