What happened on 8th August 2011

8 August a.m.

44 level 2 (riot trained) officers had been deployed, along with their equipment, to assist with disturbances in Hackney.

16.30
Information received by Ealing Police to indicate there might be trouble in the borough – reported to the Met Intelligence Bureau (MIB).
Businesses warned of potential trouble through Pub Watch and Business Watch and advised to close

20.00
Safer Neighbourhood officers report that a number of persons with hoods and masks had been seen.
Police Officers come under attack and a Jeweller’s shop is looted.

20.30 onwards

All available Police resources within the borough are directed to W5 – 35 officers. Large numbers of persons arrive into the area by car and public transport.

During the disturbances rioters attack shops in Ealing Broadway armed with hammers – staff are forced to flee. Businesses on Ealing Green are also attacked, with a supermarket being set alight, and cars burnt out. Businesses in Greenford and West Ealing are targeted and looted.
9 homes are targeted – two are set on fire, and six stolen from.
A bus is hijacked, before subsequently being set alight.

21.30
Night shift officers start (an additional 35 officers)

23.30

An additional 18 mutual aid officers are deployed in Ealing. Decision taken to disperse rioters from the town centre.
One man – Richard Mannington Bowes – dies in hospital after being attacked on Springbridge Road.
There a number of other isolated incidents across the Borough where various high value goods retailers were attacked in an organised way.

9 August: Midnight onwards

More officers are mobilised and order is restored

05.30

Street cleaners removing broken glass and rubbish from the affected areas.

0800

The Council and Police meet for an initial de-brief. Council mobilise a team involving staff from Civil Emergencies, Community Safety, Planning/Building Control, Housing, Finance, Marketing & Communications and Legal Services.

11.00

All burned-out vehicles removed by 11:00 and work to repair road surfaces started.
11.00

Clean up continues with many local residents volunteering to help.

1800

Surveys of 53 buildings had been undertaken and 14 classed as “dangerous structures”. At the worst affected, the burned-out supermarket on Ealing Green, scaffolding was erected to make the building safe and a listed rooftop turret was removed by crane off the building and stored.

15th March 2012