New powers for police after riots

Police will be given new powers to order people to remove face masks in the wake of riots that swept across England, the Prime Minister has said. David Cameron told an emergency session of Parliament that the riots were down to criminality “pure and simple”. The PM unveiled a series of measures aimed at helping residents and businesses who suffered damage during the outbreak of violence over the past week, saying “we will not allow a climate of fear to exist on our streets”. A fifth night of rioting was prevented after thousands of extra officers were drafted in to patrol the streets. More than 1,200 people have been arrested, with 888 of those arrests in London. Dawn raids have been carried out across the capital, with hundreds more expected in the coming days – one raid saw designer clothes worth thousands recovered in one flat. Scotland Yard officers will be working through more than 100 arrest warrants “over the coming hours and days”, deputy assistant commissioner Steve Kavanagh said. We have one of the leading teams of criminal defence specialists in West London and the South East. If you are facing a serious criminal charge, you can contact a member of the IBB’s Criminal Defence team, call us on 08456 381381 or email criminaldefence@ibblaw.co.uk.