Which shops were looted in birmingham

Far from fighting for a cause, the mob simply went after designer clothes and expensive mobile phones. Foot Locker, Adidas, Armani, Orange and Jessops were all targeted, with people turning on and attacking each other as greed and materialism literally ran riot. As tensions mounted and more and more youths flooded into the city, the transport network began to close down.

Arriva spokesman Keith Myatt also said all buses into the city centre had been terminated on the advice of police to protect members of the public and stop more people from getting into the city. On the train network, Moor Street Station was closed at Meanwhile, police blocked the main entrance to New Street through the Pallasades Centre.

The Metro tram service ran as normal. Each of the main shopping centres, The Bullring, Pallasades and Mailbox were circled and attacked by the frantic crowd. The Emporio Armani store in The Mailbox was turned over by around thugs and was today counting the cost of around half a million pounds of damage.

General manager Max Harvey said windows had been smashed and stock plundered. It's devastating. Security guards employed to police the Mailbox even took to protecting the stores with fire extinguishers. Harvey Nichols security guard Samir Hamizi said: "I was here about 10pm. A lot of guys came into The Mailbox and came upstairs looking for shops to loot. We were. It was terrifying, it's crazy. When the police finally flooded into Armani, only one girl remained, grabbed by a riot cop as she wandered out of the shop.

Back at the Pallasades, riot police stood in lines in front of the complex trying to keep the crowds at bay. After failing to break through the rows of police, large numbers of people broke away, seemingly intending to get to shopping areas the police had yet to cordon.

In the upmarket Temple Row area of the city, home to several designer shops, suitmaker Austin Reed had its windows and door smashed in. Looters left clothes racks and garments strewn across the floor of the shop and knocked over motorbikes parked outside. Mike Golden, aged 44, the manager, said: "I got a call from the alarm company saying intruders had broken into the shop. When I got into town I saw the riot police and knew what had happened. By 8pm, riot police filled the city centre, getting thugs and onlookers alike off New Street, which by now had seen several of its own shops smashed.

Rioters broke through the door and people streamed in, grabbing anything they could lay their hands on. As soon as the police presence returned to the store, the large crowd fled. Six riot vans sped down Birmingham's normally-pedestrianised New Street, chasing at least thugs toward the Bullring. However, once that burst of disorder calmed down, the looters immediately surged back into the large Adidas store, packing bags with their loot.

A call went up of "police" and they again fled. As the thugs stampeded through the streets, onlookers watched in horror as they brandished knives and assaulted one watching photographer, who also had his camera stolen. By now, the original larger group of youths had splintered into smaller gangs, all intent on wreaking havoc across the city.

Innocent passers-by were also dragged into the violence. One young man was set upon by a mob which punched and kicked him before taking all his possessions. He said: "It was really scary. There were lads in hoodies pouring into the Phone4U shop in Corporation Street and coming out with bags of stuff. They were kicking and shouting. There was a line of police with shields nearby but they couldn't really do anything because there were so many of them.

One year-old worker at Barclay's in Colmore Row, said: "I went to leave work when there was an alert saying no-one could leave the building. It was terrifying. Another worker, this time in Bull Street, who also wished to be anonymous, said she looked out her window just after 7pm and saw a gang of lads running from Corporation Street towards Bull Street. Colin Quinton, manager of the Wulfrun shopping centre in Wolverhampton, said a number of businesses had closed at BST on advice from their head offices.

He said: "It seems quieter than it was last night. However in Birmingham a shopkeeper, who has a store near New Street train station, but did not want to be named, said tension was just as high and shoppers and workers had made a mass exodus from the city from about BST.

The store owner said: "Customers keep calling and asking is it safe to come? I have to say yes, but I don't really know. Nobody knows. It's terrifying. David Cameron tried to reassure shopkeepers and emergency service staff in Wolverhampton following the riots. Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre has employed guard dogs and closed at BST as a precautionary measure following two nights of rioting in the city. About arrests have been made across the West Midlands in connection with the riots since Monday.

A year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Wednesday after three men were run over and killed while protecting property in a second night of violence in Birmingham. Mr Cameron said: "I know that the police here in Birmingham, here in the West Midlands, are working night and day to get to the bottom of what happened and bring the perpetrators to justice.

They need our support in doing that job. Of those arrests, King said, 27 are Birmingham residents whose cases will not proceed through the court system. The cases that will not be prosecuted are those who protested peacefully and were arrested solely for violations of the curfew and failure to disperse, she said.

Anyone who faces additional charges or who caused property damage will be prosecuted, including those listed above. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

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