As it happened: England riots - Days 1-3

Coverage continues at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14449675

The first person to appear before magistrates this morning, Alexis Bailey, 31, of Wye Street, Battersea, south London, was committed to Wood Green Crown Court, along with the majority of others. He pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal at Richer Sounds in Southend Road, Croydon on Monday. The BBC's Clive Coleman at Highbury Corner magistrates' court says his case is typical in that the magistrate committed him for sentence at the crown court. The reason for this is the magistrates' bench felt the riot was such an aggravating feature to the burglary that the crown court ought to sentence because they have additional powers. The magistrates felt that they had insufficient powers to sentence for a single count of burglary. They could only sentence for six months whereas that could be up to 10 years at the crown court.

say eight people in their area were arrested on suspicion of inciting public disorder through the use of social media sites.

says Cobra will meet at 08:30 BST tomorrow followed by a cabinet meeting at 09:00 BST. Parliament has also been recalled for tomorrow.

is on a walkabout on the streets of Manchester.

Glenn Fryatt took this photo on Tuesday evening of a sign asking Londoners to be nice to each other. It is still there now outside Finsbury Park station.

Graeme Trudgill, from the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA)

tells BBC 5 live that anyone who has property that has been damaged and does not have insurance might be covered under the 1886 Riot (Damages) Act.

As of last Friday there were 2,275 unused prison places across England and Wales. The prison population was 84,884. The useable operational capacity was 87,159. That is a significant amount of spare capacity, particularly when you consider that in recent years there have been more prisoners than prison places resulting in the use of police cells in 2006 and 2007 and early release measures between 2007 and 2010. As well as the spare places already available, the prison population normally falls in August because there are fewer court sittings and therefore fewer offenders remanded and sentenced.

Police have no idea about the identity of a man who was badly injured during rioting in London on Monday night. It is believed he was attacked after confronting teenagers in Ealing, who were setting fire to two large wheelie bins. He is in a critical condition in intensive care in a hospital in west London. The BBC understands that no identification was found on him. Police are appealing for anyone who might know who he is to contact them urgently. He is thought to be in his 40s or 50s, is white and was wearing a grey and yellow check shirt, khaki shorts and brown leather shoes. Police also want any witnesses to come forward.

Latest Met Police advice to Londoners.

Chinese communist newspaper China Youth Daily asks whether the 2012 Olympics will be safe following unrest in London. "If things are not settled with local angry youth, the London Olympics really will not put people at ease," the paper said. Another Chinese paper, Guangzhou's Nanfang Dushi Bao, said the Games could become "an unshakeable nightmare for the UK government", while in Hong Kong, the Oriental Daily News said: "If the UK wants to use the London Olympics to restore its glory as a great power, this will probably backfire."

BBC 5 live speaks to a friend of the man, who was filmed bleeding and being helped by a gang of youths, who then stole the contents of his bag.

Dzuhair Hanafiah says the 20-year-old Malaysian student Mohammad Asyraf is currently in hospital with a broken jaw and is in "good spirits".

He only arrived in the UK four weeks ago. His bike and phone were taken and his mother is trying to find the money to visit him.

Morrisons fuel stations will not be selling petrol in cans, BBC Cornwall is told. This is a national precautionary measure given the riots.

says a man attacked after violence in Ealing on Monday night is still critically ill - contrary to reports on Twitter that he has died.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper is in Birmingham, scene of serious violence last night.

says Cobra will meet again tomorrow, and the situation will be discussed by the cabinet and a recalled Parliament.

"This is obviously serious civil disorder on an unprecedented scale and an outright attack on business in the city centre by a large group of people with nothing more than criminal intentions on their mind."

"Last night was bad news for our city. Hooliganism on the streets - a fire in the old arts college, some bins burnt on Barton Street and three or four shop windows badly damaged. More worrying is the invisible damage - negative headlines in national papers and the impact of that on investors looking at putting millions of pounds into regeneration projects and new jobs. And the fear of people living here that next time it could be their windows at home."

Lance is at the Tottenham drop in centre located at the leisure centre. He lived above the carpet store that was burnt down during Saturday's riots.

His entire flat went up in flames and has been left with nothing apart from the clothes he is wearing.

He emotionally tells BBC 5 live he is "overwhelmed" by the response of locals that have been donating clothes and food to help him.

Leaving the Cobra meeting in Whitehall, Association of Chief Police Officers president Sir Hugh Orde said: "I think the significant difference last night was the number of arrests, the number of people in custody. And again this morning arrest warrants are going out to put people straight in front of the courts, which are staying open 24 hours a day. The response has been outstanding. Police officers from across the country are now in the right areas. We are mobilising more officers today into London."

Here is the prime minister saying water cannon will be made available to the police if they need them.

says no water cannon has been sent to England and there is no immediate plan to do so.

The prime minister has suggested the government is ready to increase the number of prison places in the wake of the riots. Mr Cameron said if the courts "want to send more people to prison the government has an obligation to provide those places and it will do so". The government's sentencing reforms put forward by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke last month envisaged a fall in prison numbers as part of the government's deficit reduction strategy.

Today's edition of Iranian newspaper Javan carries a front-page picture of London police confronting rioters. The headline reads: "Britain's throat in the claws of oppressed rebels". BBC Monitoring express some doubt as to whether the photograph actually depicts this week's events.

"We have seen the worst of Britain, but I also believe we have seen some of the best of Britain - the million people who have signed up on Facebook to support the police, coming together in the clean-up operations."

says a missile was thrown through the window of a police station at Washington, Tyne and Wear, early this morning injuring an officer. A police car parked outside was also set on fire.

Speaking outside Number 10, Mr Cameron said the perpetrators of trouble would be halted: "This continued violence is simply not acceptable, and it will be stopped. We will not put up with this in our country. We will not allow a culture of fear to exist on our streets."

tells BBC 5 live the first person who appeared in the dock this morning was a 31-year-old school worker named Alexis Bailey. He pleaded guilty to being part of the looting of the Richer Sounds store in Croydon.

It is clear there are things that are badly wrong in our society.

We needed a fightback and a fightback is under way.

says police told him at the Cobra meeting that they had the resources they need.

On police funding: We won't do anything that will reduce the amount of visible policing on our streets.

There is evidence that a more robust approach to policing in London resulted in a quieter night in the capital.

There are more police, more people being arrested, more people being charged and prosecuted.

Nothing is off the table. There are contingency plans for water cannon to be used at 24 hours notice.

PM David Cameron, in statement in Downing Street, pays tribute to police and emergency services. "Picture by picture" these criminals are being arrested, and they will not let "phoney" concerns about publishing CCTV images breaching human rights get in the way, he says.

Leaving the Cobra meeting on Whitehall, Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Clearly the focus of today has been off London and around the country, in the West Midlands, Birmingham, Manchester, that is where the bulk of the discussion centred. We had a much better night last night in London, it's very important we keep that up, but we can't be remotely complacent. The issue now is how you replicate that around the country."

Nine out of 10 British adults say police should be able to be use water cannon on rioters and one third support use of live ammunition, according to a YouGov poll of 2,534 British adults for the Sun.

Libyan foreign ministry spokesman Khalid Ka'im has called on world governments to take action over the unrest in the UK. David Cameron has lost legitimacy and "must go", Libya's official news agency Jana reports. Libya "demands that the international community not stand with arms folded in the face of this gross aggression against the rights of the British people, who are demanding its right to rule its country", the report said.

Gavin tells BBC 5 live he had a tough up-bringing. His father is serving a life sentence in prison. By the age of six he had seen knives, rapes and stabbings. "Seeing a gun was normal," he says.

"I'm not making an excuse for looting but is this is a cry for attention?" he asks.

London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner Tim Godwin seen leaving Cobra meeting in the Cabinet Office in Whitehall.

Young people in Tottenham give Radio 5 live's Victoria Derbyshire their thoughts about carrying guns and why they think they'll 'living like a king when you do wrong'.

The prime minister's statement is now expected closer to 11:00 BST.

DL, a friend of Mark Duggan, the man shot by police

tells BBC 5 live he "still can't believe" he is dead. He adds Mark had his "head screwed on" and says he thinks he carried a gun to "protect himself".

In response to Boris Johnson's comments on police numbers, the Home Office released the following statement: "The urgent need to take action to address our budget deficit is clear from events across the world right now. The reductions in the police budget for the Spending Review period are manageable. There is no question that the police will still have the resources to do their important work. At the end of this Spending Review period, the police will still have enough officers to deploy in the kind of numbers we've seen in the past couple of days."

BBC 5 live

Tottenham Green Leisure Centre has become a drop in centre for people who lost everything they own during Saturday night's riots. Volunteers are donating clothes and food to those who need them.

Rioting in Britain is the fault of the government and police, Iranian newspaper Resalat reports. In an editorial on "Cameron's iron fist", the paper says the unrest is the consequence of the UK government's "human rights violations". In a rare moment of harmony, press in both Israel and Iran cite immigration as one of the reasons for unrest in the UK. Editorials in Iran's Khorasan newspaper and Israel's Yisrael Hayom both speculate that tensions in multicultural communities may be the cause. "All those who felt disadvantaged and full of hatred are now running wild," the Israeli paper says.

Police in Cheshire charge a 20-year-old man with "intentionally inciting public disorder through the use of social media sites". He is due to appear before magistrates in Northwich this morning. He was one of eight people arrested in the county yesterday. Four men are still being questioned, a 13-year-old boy has been given police bail and two other men have been released without charge.

has sent officers to London, Manchester and Nottingham. The force has recalled officers from leave and says the situation does not effect the policing level locally.

Tariq Jahan

the father of Haroon Jahan, one of three men who died in Birmingham last night, tells BBC 5 live he tried to save his son's life soon after the car collision by administering CPR.

He describes is son as a "very, very smart and gifted kid". Local people tell BBC reporter Bob Walker that Harroon had been out on the street protecting properties from looters.

confirms it sent officers to help out in Manchester last night. The force still has officers in London as well.

Prime Minister David Cameron is due to make a statement at 10:30 BST, following a meeting of the government emergency committee Cobra.

confirms both Highbury magistrates' court and Camberwell magistrates' court in London have been sitting through the night for first appearances of people charged in connection with the riots.

A Downing Street source says the riots will not change future funding arrangements for police forces. Responding to comments by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, a spokesman said the government's plans were not about cutting police numbers but making forces more efficient. The cuts to policing budgets have to be made in order to help deal with the deficit, the spokesman said.

Officers from all eight Scottish police forces are being sent to help colleagues in the Midlands and north of England deal with rioting and looting. Equipment and vehicles are also going.

The government's emergency committee Cobra is meeting again - the prime minister, the police and the Mayor of London Boris Johnson are there.

says there were not enough arrests by Greater Manchester Police during last night's riots. He told BBC News: "When people were smashing windows and setting fire to shops, people weren't being arrested. That simply isn't acceptable. The chief constable must explain what his strategy and tactics are. Vandals wrecked the place and nothing was done."

Highbury magistrates' court in north London has been sitting with two district judges through the night since 17:00 BST yesterday, and appearances are continuing today. Most people are charged with public disorder or violent disorder and some for burglary relating to looting. The majority have been remanded in custody.

, the father of Haroon Jahan, one of the men who died in the car incident in Birmingham, says: "I've got no words to describe what, why he was taken and why this has happened."

says "vigilante" groups set up to protect property are hampering the policing operation. He tells Sky News: "What I don't need is these so-called vigilantes, who appeared to have been drinking too much and taking policing resources away from what they should have been doing - which is preventing the looting."

BBC 5 live caller, Jennifer from Stroud

says the reason young people are turning to criminality up and down the country is the lack of disclipline and respect they have for their parents and teachers.

Detectives investigating the death of three men following a road crash in Birmingham this morning are to question a 32-year-old man on suspicion of murder. It is understood the three men, aged 31, 30 and 20, were on foot in Dudley Road in the Winson Green area of the city when they were hit by a car. They all later died from their injuries in hospital. Officers arrested the man nearby and recovered a vehicle which will be examined by forensics experts.

Former chairman of the government's Cobra intelligence group Colonel Richard Kemp says in the Times criticism of police action in public-order situations needs to be balanced. "Even in our human- rights-dominated, health-and-safety- obsessed world, police must be allowed sufficient latitude to take risks without a disproportionate fear of prosecution."

The Met's Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin is seen arriving at the Cobra meeting in Whitehall.

Manchester police have been giving a press conference.

They say there was an "unprecedented level of criminality" in Manchester last night. The violence began about 1700 BST and continued until the early hours of the morning.

There were disturbances in Rochdale, Oldham and Bury and 110 arrests were made. Police say they are continuing to identify offenders using CCTV.

A 21-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of starting a massive fire at the House of Reeves furniture store in Croydon. The family-run business was destroyed on a third night of violence in London on Monday evening.

Scottish police are to travel to England to help combat rioting and looting, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland says. Numbers are yet to be confirmed.

A 16-year-old looter from Manchester tells BBC 5 live he will continue participating in the violence and theft until he gets caught, because it is his first offence and nothing will happen.

Philip Winder's son Wesley pulled out all the stops to defend the family's carpet business in Salford.

Captain America and Bananaman spotted in Salford

tells BBC Breakfast that the experience in London last night showed "with technical back-up, we can restore order to our streets".

Police in north London took an innovative approach to transporting 22 people they arrested after suspecting they were planning to take part in looting, by commandeering a bus to take them to a police station, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh tells the BBC News Channel.

Tariq Jahan is the father of 21-year old Haroon Jahan, one of three men who died after being hit by a car in Birmingham last night.

"He was a very good lad, starting at the beginning of his life. He had his whole life ahead of him. It makes no sense why people are behaving like this and taking the lives of three innocent people," he says.

Labour leader Ed Miliband is due to arrive in Manchester this morning following trouble in the city last night. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper will travel to Birmingham after riots there.

A 19-year-old woman is arrested after posting an invitation to a riot in Wakefield on a social networking site.

Commentators are talking about the power of the police. Philip Johnston says in the Telegraph that the police lost control many years ago and have become "more like social workers than upholders of law and order".

BBC reporter Clinton Rogers

tells BBC 5 live there were "sporadic outbreaks of violence" in Bristol but no serious disorder. He says police were "out in force" last night, which led to 19 arrests. Four people are due in court this morning charged with various offences.

calls on the government to rethink its proposals to reduce police manpower. Following the rioting, he told Radio 4's Today programme: "This is not a time to think about making substantial cuts in police numbers."

Deputy Chief Constable Mick Matthews from Gloucestershire Police

tells BBC 5 live the unrest in Gloucester last night was "some of the more extreme violence" that has been seen in the county for some time. Additional officers were drafted in and he says they were able to "contain" the trouble quickly.

say a total of 84 people were arrested last night. The force expects that figure to exceed 100 by lunchtime.

says the policing strength in London is being reviewed daily. He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are committed to making sure if we needed 16,000 out yesterday, we'll have that number out tonight and we review it on 24-hour basis."

made 15 arrests last night in Milton Keynes, Reading, Oxford, Banbury, High Wycombe and Slough, for alleged criminal damage, burglary and public order offences.

In Cambridge: a group of between 30 to 40 youths clashed with police near Midsummer Common. Two police officers were treated for minor injuries. Five men from Cambridge were arrested after violence around the Grafton shopping centre just before midnight.

A BBC reporter says crowds around City Hospital in Birmingham are apparently dispersing. During the night they had gathered after three men were hit by a car and died.

said trouble in the city was "sheer vandalism, thuggery, theft". He added: "There is absolutely no excuse for that. Justice now needs to be done, and seen to be done."

tells BBC Breakfast the firm policing response in London must be built on in other parts of the country. He said his sympathies and thoughts were with the families and businesses affected, and "fearful" people across the country.

say nine men were arrested in Gloucester last night, aged between 16 and 40. They are being held in custody.

Downing Street says increased police numbers in London are likely to remain for as long as necessary to ensure there is no repeat of Monday night's rioting in the capital. The number of officers was nearly trebled to 16,000 last night.

A third man has died following the Birmingham road crash incident overnight.

says disturbances in Gloucester were very unusual for the area: "We haven't been complacent, we've been monitoring everything that's been going on since the weekend and we were picking up, on both our intelligence systems and on some of the more open social media sources, that people were indicating they might want to cause a problem. So we were ready for it, we did have additional police resources available and on the ground, which meant we were able to contain this very quickly."

It is thought the two men killed in an alleged hit-and-run incident in Birmingham had just come out of a mosque and were protecting their neighbourhood. A third man is in a critical condition. Police have arrested a man and recovered a vehicle from the scene. A murder inquiry has been launched.

A man injured in the Dudley Road area of Birmingham following a suspected hit-and-run incident is not dead, West Midlands Ambulance Service has said despite what family members at City Hospital have said.

The Birmingham casualties were taken to the City Hospital where a large crowd has gathered. Police in riot gear have been blocking the hospital's main entrance.

A murder investigation has been launched after two men were killed and one critically injured in a suspected hit-and-run incident in Birmingham, West Midlands Police said. It is not known if the deaths are linked to overnight rioting in the area.

Just as the rioters have used new technology to coordinate their crimes, some British newspapers hope that security camera images can be used to catch the guilty.

The Daily Star is one of several papers to print pictures of suspects, under the headline: "Let's shop a looter." Similarly, the Sun invites the public to call the police with information.

Meanwhile, the Independent considers the motivation behind this spate of unruly behaviour, concluding that "this is not a political protest" but rather an outbreak of "acquisitive looting or brainless destruction" by a criminal underclass.

The latest update from Greater Manchester Police says the force has now made 108 arrests for disorder in Manchester City Centre and Salford.

British newspapers across the political spectrum agree on the urgent need to restore order amid continuing civil unrest.

"The attacks, the destruction, the criminality and the reign of fear must be stopped," argues the Guardian.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail says: "Protecting the public at home is the first duty of any government."

And to that end, the Sun demands "decisive action", calling for "our brave police" to be given "a free hand to smash the mobs - whatever it takes".

The latest figures from Merseyside Police suggests officers there have arrested 50 people following disturbances overnight.

Those arrested were 48 men and two women, aged between 14 and 52.

You can find a selection of striking images of looting and civil disobedience in cities across England here: In pictures: Rioting spreads

This image shows unrest in Liverpool overnight.

Merseyside Police says it's now arrested 46 people for offences related to disorder.

Avon and Somerset Police say four people have been arrested and are due to appear at Bristol Magistrates Court later on Wednesday morning, following disorder in the city centre.

Two of them are 17 and the others are 21 and 47.

Some 24 people have been arrested for various offences since unrest broke out in Bristol on Monday night.

Three arrests have been made by Gloucestershire Police following disturbances in Gloucester and more are likely to follow, the force says. Police officers have not suffered any injuries, however a number of bottles and rocks have been thrown at police vehicles.

Merseyside Police say a total of 44 people have now been arrested by the force in connection with overnight disturbances in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral.

Gloucestershire Police say they are dealing with what they called a "gathering" in the Brunswick area of Gloucester.

There has been some disorder around the city, with roaming youths setting fires in bins.

And a major fire has taken hold at the old Brunswick Road campus of Gloscat (Gloucestershire College of Art and Technology), a large 60s building that has been derelict since the college moved in 2007. It's next to Gloucester library which reports suggest is also on fire.

Conservative MP Mark Reckless, a member of the influential home affairs committee, has criticised police tactics in dealing with the riots.

The MP says he plans to question senior officers, when they appear before the committee on Thursday, on whether "fear of criticism held them back from taking more robust action".

He says some police appeared to "sometimes stand back" in the face of civil disobedience to focus on gathering video evidence for later prosecution, which "risks bringing the law into disrepute if the police look on as property is destroyed and the public are justifiably outraged".

Merseyside Police say four fire engines were attacked while attending incidents on Lawrence Road, in the south Liverpool area.

The fire near Tottenham High Road thought to have been caused by a number of lorries exploding at a recycling centre - not a diesel depot as we reported earlier - is now out and firefighters have left the scene.

Thieves attempted to steal a cash machine from outside a supermarket in Bootle, North of Liverpool, according to Merseyside Police.

This image of a burnt BBC radio car that was destroyed in Manchester was sent in by reporter Nick Garnett.

Our Bristol newsroom says a large fire has broken out in Gloucester. Eight fire engines are attending the blaze on Brunswick Road.

A number of the police cordons that were in place around Manchester have now been lifted and the city centre is being opened again.

Merseyside Police say there have been 35 arrests so far related to disorder in Liverpool and the Wirral.

Two fire engines and a fire officer's car have been damaged by youths in Lawrence Road, in south Liverpool. The officers were dealing with a number of burning cars at the time.

There have been reports of a series of loud explosions at a diesel depot near Tottenham High Road, in North London. The fire, police and ambulance services are all at the scene, between Ashley Road and Park View Road. The police have been telling residents they are assessing the situation, to decide whether they will need to start evacuating houses nearby.

The Met has fresh advice to the owners of businesses in London on how to deal with disorder.

It says they don't have to wait to be attacked to use "defensive force" to protect their premises and can "use something to hand as a weapon" if they feel it's necessary "in the heat of the moment".

For those of you who are just joining us, here's a quick recap of the latest developments:

• The Metropolitan Police say 685 arrests have been made in connection with disorder across London in recent days
• Of those arrested by Met Police, 111 people have been charged - 69 for burglary, but only one for criminal damage
• London remains largely quiet
• Greater Manchester Police have arrested 47 people following disorder in Salford and Manchester
• Merseyside Police say there have been 35 arrests in relation to fresh unrest across Liverpool
• Police in the West Midlands say there were 87 arrests on Tuesday night amid disturbances in Birmingham, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton

About 200 young Sikh men have gathered in a show of force outside two temples in Southall, west London.

They were asked to come by temple leaders in response to fears that rioting in nearby Ealing on Monday night may erupt again.

They told me they are here to protect their communities. Police have told temple leaders there is no trouble in the area tonight.

Merseyside Police are advising people to avoid the Park Road South area in Birkenhead, where a number of vehicles are on fire.

A number of shops and pubs on Grange Road, in Birkenhead, have also been damaged.

Police in London, which is now largely quiet, are prepared for unrest.

This image shows police Jenkel riot vehicles patrolling Hackney, in east London, which has been hit by looting in recent days.

West Midlands Police are investigating reports that shots have been fired just outside Birmingham city centre, thought to be in the Aston area.

The Metropolitan Police say 685 arrests have been made in connection with disorder across London in recent days. Of those, 111 people have been charged.

Here's the breakdown of charges:

• Burglary - 69
• Public Order Act offences - 13
• Assault on police - 2
• Robbery - 3
• Possession of offensive weapons - 5
• Handling stolen goods - 6
• Criminal damage - 1
• Going equipped - 1
• Drug offences - 3
• Miscellaneous other offences - 8

Manchester Councillor Pat Karney has described the widespread looting in the city as "one of the worst days in Manchester's history".

"I was shocked and horrified to see the ages of some of these hooligans.

"We are talking about nine, 10, 11-year-olds with balaclavas on walking up the main shopping street in Manchester as if it was a great night out."

Video: Greater Manchester Police's assistant chief constable, Garry Shewan, has condemned the "shameful criminality" seen in Manchester and Salford tonight. He's also praised his force's response to the "extraordinary levels of violence".

A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the large fire which took hold of Reeves Furniture store, in Croydon, on Monday.

Police say he was was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

This man, whose face has been pixelated, is among those who have been arrested in Birmingham. He was arrested near the site of looting in an electronics store near New St Station.

Manchester's chief constable, Gary Shewan, says his officers are "gaining control" of the city centre, "street by street" to "flush out" the rioters.

He added: "We have been shocked by the level of violence we have seen this evening. The level of violence has taken us all by surprise."

The number of people arrested by Greater Manchester Police following disorder in Salford and Manchester currently stands at 47.

Merseyside Police are asking people to avoid Smithdown Road in South Liverpool again as large group of youths have gathered and are causing disorder.

The Ministry of Defence has played down reports in The Guardian and The Telegraph that army units are on stand-by to deal with civil unrest. An MoD spokesman says an emergency infantry battalion is always on stand-by, to be deployed in the UK or abroad.

The front page of Wednesday's Daily Express concerns both efforts to clean up in the aftermath of looting and calls to take strong action against wrongdoers.

Here's an update from police in the West Midlands - they say there were 80 arrests tonight amid further disturbances in Birmingham, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.

Senior politicians have so far been reluctant to criticise the police over claims they failed to react quickly enough to escalating violence on Monday night - or that they failed in their duty to protect the public and businesses.

Education Secretary Michael Gove praised the additional deployments in London and action taken "by imaginative chief constables in Manchester and Birmingham" to curb violence.

But Labour backbencher Graham Stringer hasn't held back. He says the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police "has a lot to answer for", adding that the police have failed to "get control of the streets".

Here's a quick look at the front pages of some of Wednesday's UK newspapers.

More lively debate on BBC's Newsnight programme - Michael Gove launched a fierce verbal attack on Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman, accusing her of "demeaning herself" by trying to link the riots to government cuts. A foretaste of the Commons debate on Thursday?

Greater Manchester Police confirm that 15 arrests have been made in Manchester and Salford and there are sporadic fires across the force's area.

Four men have been arrested in Milton Keynes in connection with what police called "minor disorder" incidents.

Thames Valley Police said the incidents took place on estates around central Milton Keynes, with officers being deployed to Eaglestone, Garraways, Coffee Hall, Bean Hill and Netherfield.

Leicestershire Police have said on their Twitter account that their officers were attempting to disperse a group of youths in Leicester city centre and deal with those "responsible for criminal acts".

National Express services to Manchester have also been suspended, with passengers being dropped off at Manchester Airport, Oldham or Stockport instead of in the city.

Some travel news: National Express coaches are not operating routes into Birmingham or Wolverhampton "until further notice". Other coach services are working, but Birmingham coach station has been closed.

There's a lively debate at the moment on the BBC's Newsnight programme. Kelvin MacKenzie, a former editor of the Sun newspaper, says the current unrest should not be "politicised".

"These are vile people who have had no discipline at home. No discipline at school," he says, adding: "This time they've gone too far."

He says the army should be used to protect police officers and firefighters.

Education Secretary Michael Gove tells the BBC's Newsnight police are having to deal with a "new phenomenon" - gangs previously divided by post codes joining forces to "create havoc and criminality".

Time for a quick update on the firebombed police station in Nottingham. The flames have been extinguished and at least eight people have been arrested in connection with the attack.

In Manchester, a recently opened fashion boutique in King Street owned by former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has been hit by looters.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested by Tayside Police in connection with Facebook entries encouraging others to gather in Dundee city centre with weapons to riot. The teenager is due to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on Wednesday morning.

More on the incident in the Bootle area of Merseyside - a man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft after allegedly using a dumper truck to break into a Post Office. Only shutters were damaged, police say.

A police station in Nottingham has been firebombed by a group of 30 to 40 men, according to Nottinghamshire Police. No injuries were reported.

Liverpool city centre has gone into lockdown with all shops closed from 6pm. A digger has been used in an attempted robbery of a Post Office in Bootle.

West Midlands Police have made 36 arrests tonight after shops were looted and vehicles set alight in Birmingham, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.

But, so far, the violence has been less severe than Monday night's disturbances in Birmingham city centre.

Chuka Umunna, Labour MP for Streatham, which includes Brixton, says he wants to see Blackberry's messenger service "temporarily disabled" between 1800 BST and 0600 BST to stop those organising disorder.

People are following us around with bags, asking where the riots are. There is no doubt that there is a great deal of opportunism going on here tonight in Manchester.

Mr Whalley says the shopping centre took additional precautions tonight: "We employed four rather large dogs and dog handlers which has had a positive effect, but whereas yesterday it was about looting, today the young people seem to just want to be out there to cause damage." He says he thinks customers numbers in the shopping centre will be very low again on Wednesday.

A quick update from Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre. Its manager, Tim Whalley, says two sets of doors have been smashed this evening, and youths are moving around a lot, so "police in many ways are chasing shadows".

BBC Radio Manchester listener Eddie Vaughn, who is in the Deansgate area of the city, says it isn't just young people that are involved in the rioting but people in their late 30s and early 40s "who should know better". "And there was kids there as young as 12,13," he says. "There was also the ubiquitous spotters on their bikes - basically going round checking where the bobbies were and coming back and letting the rest of them know."

Enfield, in North London, scene of some of the worst rioting on Monday night, is very quiet. Met some residents who've told us they've been out tonight helping the police and looking after neighbourhood.

Cllr Marc Ramsbottom, from Manchester City Council, says the council is working with police to make sure the city is as safe as possible. He says it is difficult to say precisely how much damage has been caused but he has seen a number of stores that have had their windows smashed. A large amount of criminality is being caused by a relatively small, young group of people, he adds.

Latest stores to be looted in Manchester - Diesel, Bang and Olufsen, High and Mighty. Police now on scene. Eyewitnesses say looting took place an hour ago.

Police have just told me they have dealt with bottles and bricks being thrown in Canning Town, East London. Number of arrests.

Small pockets of troublemakers are moving around quite quickly from one area to another in Manchester.

There is a bit of a gang mentality here in Manchester at the moment. I was in Piccadilly Gardens, when two youths on push bikes road up and shouted "Oldham street" to the crowd, and the group of young people then turned and started moving to Oldham street, where they looted a cash converter.

Paul Tilsley, the deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, says he was appalled to see young children heading into the city centre this evening. He has this message for parents: "Know where your kids are, know what your kids are doing, because you're responsible for them as a parent. Your responsibilities don't finish, and children as young as 10 getting involved in that kind of activity, you wonder what kind of parenting they're getting."

Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton, a constituency which crosses Manchester and Salford, says the authorities have known for most of the day that "the people behind this criminal behaviour have been organising and the police were prepared".

"While I'm not prepared to say the police have got it wrong until I know all the facts, certainly the police have a lot of questions to answer about why there is a shop on fire, why there's been a lot of damage to property, why businesses have been closed down and people are having their employment threatened in this way," he says.

Tom Steedman describes to the BBC News Channel watching rioters target a Salford supermarket. He says they managed to drive away police who had been defending the store. "[The rioters] then proceeded to smash through all the shutters on the store, it's been completely looted, and now they've set the store on fire." Mr Steedman says he has seen a lot of people walking away with bags. "It's not just youths, there was actually a family drove up in a car and filled up their boot with stuff from Lidl and drove off."

A policeman and his dog walk towards a burning car in Birmingham.

Assistant general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union Andy Dark says the past few nights have been "extremely tough" for fire crews and the officers in control. He says the fire service has a distinct role from that of the police. He says firefighters sometimes have to delay battling blazes to avoid crews being injured. "We have to ensure we have the right number of crews there at the right time."

Ramadhan Foundation director Mohammed Shafiq on Oldham Street in Manchester says the disorder seems to be pre-organised, with apparent "team leaders" directing rioters.

Hampshire Police stress that a fire at the site of a former nightclub in Portsmouth is not thought to be linked to unrest in other parts of the country. "It's understandable that given the civil unrest in London, residents here may be concerned that this fire is a result of impending disorder in Portsmouth," says Chief Inspector Ali Heydari. "I think it's important that we clarify that while the cause of the fire is being investigated, initial inquiries do not point to arson."

Labour MP for Manchester Central Tom Lloyd says people need to remember the risks police officers are asked to confront at times like this. "It is bizarre if we're still saying to our police officers at the end of this we'll be handing you your P45s," he tells the BBC News Channel.

Police in Essex have arrested a 17-year-old boy after comments were made on Facebook allegedly encouraging others to meet in the county and riot.

Hazel Blears, the Labour MP for Salford and Eccles, tells BBC News she has spoken to her local police chief who feels that disorder in her constituency "is very much copycat behaviour" and says many of those "out and about" are "well known to the police". The former Home Office minister says she believes the activity in central Manchester is also copycat behaviour and that "wall to wall coverage" has almost encouraged people to join in.

Local radio reporter John Pickford describes seeing fire "gushing out of the Miss Selfridge shop" in Manchester and says smoke is still coming down Market Street. He tells the BBC's News Channel the pubs and clubs have closed for the evening and the metrolink tram has stopped running. "Manchester is closed for business".

A group of around 100 young man have gathered on Church Street in Enfield, and say they will defend the streets of the north London suburb from rioters. The area is peaceful at the moment.

Darren Clayton took this picture at Walsall town centre high street. He says: "There were between 80 and 100 police officers walking systematically in rows through the town. I was told there had been a gang of youths around. I think the police dealt with it very well - not harrassing anybody, just walking through the town."

West Midlands Police say a large group that gathered in West Bromwich has dispersed but officers are monitoring the situation. Police say officers have responded to reports of disorder in Wolverhampton, with attacks on shops reported. "Officers remain concerned that young people are being drawn into unlawful activity and encourage families and communities to contact their children and ensure their young people are safely at home during this period."

West Midlands Police say a large group of people are causing disorder in the centre of Birmingham. A police statement says shops have been attacked and a car has reportedly been set alight on Moor Street. Police have arrested three people and are working "to restore calm and bring the city back to normality".

The BBC's Ed Thomas in Manchester says about 17:00 a large group gathered at Salford Precinct and missiles were thrown at police. He tells the BBC's News channel a vehicle was overturned and set on fire. He says messages were earlier sent by a BlackBerry telling people to meet in the area.

It is currently very calm in Croydon, and there is no sense of trouble. People have come to look at the building that burnt down last night, the furniture store. And earlier, politicians including the PM and Mayor of London Boris Johnson visited. There have been reports of vans in the area - but nobody knows if there is going to be trouble again tonight, and if there is, where it will be.

Mohammed Shafiq of the Ramadhan Foundation tells the BBC's News Channel there have been running battles between police and young people in Manchester since about 1800 BST. He estimates there are about 2,000 people on the streets around the Arndale Centre. Mr Shafiq says the police response seems to be sporadic with five or six officers running at large groups of young people: "There seem to be too many protesters and criminals on the streets of Manchester for the police to do anything."

The advisory reads: "Do not challenge debate or make unwise comments. This will only increase your chances of becoming a victim of violence." Meanwhile, the State Department in Washington says it has "strong confidence" in the measures being taken by the British authorities.

The US has warned American citizens to steer clear of the violence in Britain because the situation remains "fluid". A formal travel advisory issued on the US embassy website advises visitors to move away from any civil unrest and to avoid contact with those causing the violence.

Greater Manchester Police says it has been dealing with "outbreaks of minor disorder" in Salford and Manchester city centre this afternoon "involving a small number of youths". "A handful of shops have been attacked by groups of youths who have congregated and seem intent on committing disorder. As we have said, we will not allow such mindless criminal damage and wanton violence to go unpunished and we will arrest and prosecute anyone found to be involved in looting or acts of criminal damage," the force says.

Manchester police says there is an increased number of officers on the ground tonight, responding to incidents and dispersing groups of youths before they commit any crimes. The force says it has already made a number of arrests and is appealing for calm in the community. "We would advise they stay out of the city centre while we assess the scale of any disorder and report any concerns they have to us," the statement adds.

Rioters have set fire to a Miss Selfridge shop on Market Street in Manchester city centre.

Dr Derrick Campbell, in Birmingham, says the rioters look about 17 or 18 years old, and are "opportunist young thugs who have no political agenda but are causing mayhem on the streets".

The BBC is hearing eyewitness reports of a newsagents on Newhall Street, in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, having been ransacked by around 20 youths, who used manhole covers to smash windows and take what they could from the shop. We understand police arrived but the youths fled along the nearby canal.

Police are preparing for a possible fourth night of rioting across the capital.

For a bit more detail about what is going on elsewhere in England, read about the sporadic trouble that has broken out in the West Midlands and the latest outbreak of violence that has seen shops smashed by a crowd in Salford.

It also adds that the Met would "like to take this opportunity to appeal for calm".

"Mr Duggan's family have publicly stated that they do not in anyway condone the violence we have witnessed on the streets of London. There can be no excuses for this behaviour," it concludes.

"We appreciate that it is frustrating for people to have to wait for the outcome of the investigation but it is important that the investigation is full and thorough, and the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] is doing everything possible to assist with that process," the Met statement goes on.

Responding to the IPCC's statement on the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan, the Met says it welcomes the update and it is in the interests of "everyone, the family of Mr Duggan, the public and the police, that the IPCC are able to establish to all the facts of the events of last Thursday so that there is a complete understanding of what happened".

The Salford precinct has seen skirmishes over the last few hours. The first confrontation saw bricks being thrown at about 20 officers with riot shields, but that has dispersed. Now youths are trying to break into a money shop and a community building has been set on fire. At least a dozen tactical aid units are here while the fire brigade tries to put out the fire.

It has been confirmed that Prime Minister David Cameron will chair a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra at 09:00 BST on Wednesday morning.

Derrick Campbell, trapped between youths and police in Birmingham, goes on to say: "They've just attacked one of the Sky vehicles with sticks and missiles. The police are keeping them at bay, they've blocked the road off... I must admit that I am a little bit nervous, I'm not sure how I'm going to get home."

The Central Housing Office in Salford, Greater Manchester, is on fire. Fire crews are said to be at the scene.

Derrick Campbell tells the BBC he is stuck in his car in Birmingham, in the middle of a stand-off between police and youths.

"My car is actually surrounded by, I'd say, at least 30 riot police. I've got two police vans blocking my car in. There's a group of youths, I'd say, about 50 yards away."

Mr Davis says the key to restoring order is not police numbers but the way officers are deployed. And he accuses the top ranks of the police of being "short of resolution" when it comes to taking appropriate action.

Senior Tory MP David Davis calls on the police to stop treating the disorder on the streets as a peaceful demonstration and intervene more quickly to stop rioting and acts of criminality. Speaking on BBC Look North, Mr Davis says the police had been "standing by, presumably under orders," and watching criminal acts happen.

Riot police are surrounding the Mailbox building in Birmingham. Eight police vans are reportedly outside. Harvey Nicholls has boarded-up its windows. The Mailbox, home to some of Birmingham's most expensive shops, was attacked by looters last night.

In West Bromwich cars there are reports of cars set on fire and rioting, also smoke coming from the Desi Junction pub.

Security staff at Gallions Reach in Beckton say all of the shops in the retail park - apart from the Tesco - have closed early. Gallions Reach normally closes at 20:00 BST.

BBC News understands that the CO19 officers involved in the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham last Thursday discharged their firearms because they believed there was a threat to human life. Their guidelines allow them to shoot in such circumstances. Another key witness, the driver of the minicab in which Mark Duggan was travelling, has yet to give his description of what happened. He is understood to be in a severe state of shock.

A number of London theatres are cancelling their performances tonight in response to the riots. The Battersea Arts Centre, Greenwich Playhouse and the Arcola Theatre in Dalston are among them. The Albany in Deptford tweets it has been "advised to close by the police". So far no West End theatres have announced any closures.

Greater Manchester Police say a Wigan man has been arrested on suspicion of using social media to incite violence.

On its Twitter feed, Greater Manchester Police say reports of a "stand off" between gangs and police in Salford have been exaggerated. It says police dispersed 20 or so youths and one brick was thrown but there were no injuries.

A special edition of the BBC's Question Time to discuss the riots will air on Thursday, live on BBC One, 22:35 BST. The public can apply to be in the audience by filling in this form.

Strathclyde Police say they have charged a 16-year-old boy with breaching the peace in relation to a message posted on Facebook, which allegedly incited people to commit acts of disorder. The teenager was arrested in Glasgow at lunchtime and is due to appear in court tomorrow.

BBC reporters in Salford say looters are breaking into Bargain Booze and the Money Sho on Hankinson Way. A BBC cameraman has been assaulted.

Liverpool ONE shopping centre says "following recent events across the country" its stores are closing at 18:00 BST today - two hours earlier than usual. It says it will monitor the situation.

BBC Radio Manchester reporter Richard Stead says rocks and stones are being hurled at police vans by a large gang of youths in Salford, Manchester. He says there's a stand off between officers and a crowd of between 70 and 80 at Salford Precinct and businesses there have closed early.

We are continuing to hear that shops are closing earlier than usual today. Some shopkeepers in Notting Hill Gate have closed their stores and police community support officers are warning businesses there to remain vigilant. Jigsaw says it has closed its stores in Westbourne Grove, Putney, Richmond, Kingston, Wimbledon, Birmingham and Whiteley's Shopping Centre. Police in Wembley say that larger stores on the High Road closed a few hours ago.

IPCC Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne says she is aware it is a difficult time for Mark Duggan's family who "have made it abundantly clear that they in no way condone the violence" seen on the streets over the past three nights. "I am committed to ensuring they are provided with answers from the IPCC about the investigation into Mark's death as soon as we have them, and I acknowledge their frustration that this can be a lengthy process."

BBC reporter Lesley Ashmall tells 5 live the mood in Peckham is "tense" and a lot of people are very frightened at the prospect of more trouble.

The IPCC says the Forensic Science Service has also confirmed that the bullet lodged in a police radio was police issue and consistent with being fired from a police gun.

The Independent Police Complaints commission says ballistic test results so far show no evidence that a handgun found at the scene of the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan had been fired. It says the Forensic Science Service is carrying out further tests to confirm this.

BBC 5 live reporter Louise Brierley is in West Bromwich, where three shop windows were smashed in earlier.

She says police managed to contain the violence quickly and now the crowd has dispersed, although there is still a high police presence around the local pubs.

Labour Leader Ed Miliband and deputy Harriet Harman are in effect saying Prime Minister David Cameron is right in saying the rioting is criminality that needs to be dealt with.

London's chief crown prosecutor Alison Saunders says the Crown Prosecution Service has set up a dedicated team to deal with the prosecution of alleged rioters. "We are working closely with the police and have a team of prosecutors available to provide charging decisions 24/7 as quickly as possible," she says.

Scotland Yard updates its figures to say 563 people have been arrested and 105 charged in relation to the riots.

Sir Hugh Orde, president of Acpo - the Association of Chief Police - tells BBC 5 live the Met commissioner is "determined" to find and punish the people who looted last night.

"The game is over, the police will respond robustly and we will move on. We will get the streets back," he says.

Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham says on its Facebook page that it is closing at 17:00 BST instead of 20:00 BST. Shops have also closed in Salford, Manchester, after reports that a gang raided a shop in the area at 15:30 BST. In Bristol, the BBC's Jon Kay says some stores in Cabot Circus have decided to close early, but most are trading normally.

Birmingham police say they have arrested five men and two women in the West Midlands in relation to property stolen during last night's disorder. Officers say they recovered items of designer and sportswear worth several thousand pounds and electrical items from some of the addresses.

Two 18-year-olds are arrested in Folkestone, Kent, after Scotland Yard says a number of "inflammatory" comments were seen on Facebook in relation to rioting in London and other cities.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has warned those responsible for last night's vandalism and looting will be arrested if they go out again. "My question also is for the families, for the mothers and fathers. Do you know where your teenage son is? Do you know where your teenage daughter is? Get hold of them on their mobile phone. Get them back at home which is where they should be tonight, not out on the streets."

A Hackney local tells BBC 5 Live: "When you've got bankers taking their bonuses and MP's taking money off people like me for their moats, and their chateaus and their castles, this is the result."

Twenty-three people have appeared before magistrates at Camberwell Green in south London charged with offences connected to last night's rioting in Brixton, Streatham and Clapham. The 20 men and three women ranged in age from 18 to 47. Twenty-two were charged with entering electrical goods and clothing shops with intent to steal goods. One man was charged with assaulting a police officer. They have been remanded in custody to appear in court at a later date.

Mr Watson says for the past two days it felt like there was no-one in charge. He says people need to know their politicians are focusing on the situation.

Labour MP Tom Watson tells the BBC's News Channel he would have "preferred Boris [Johnson] to turn up with reinforcements yesterday than a broom today".

Visiting Croydon, London Mayor Boris Johnson says police must "deal robustly but fairly" with rioters and stop them causing more unrest. Mr Johnson says Londoners have "privileges and freedoms that other people around the world can only dream of" and there is no ideological justification for the rioting. Mr Johnson says "London will cope brilliantly with the Olympics".

EasyJet says it has been inundated with calls from MPs trying to get home in time for Thursday's parliamentary debate. The airline sent an e-mail to MPs earlier today offering to help get them back to London and says that so far it has helped more than 60.

A shop owner in Muswell Hill says about eight officers are in the area, where some shop windows were smashed last night. She says businesses, including the Halifax Bank on the Broadway are closing early. One shop front is boarded up. West Midland Police Superintendent Mark Payne tweets that the Asda supermarket in Wolverhampton is closing. "We have not advised any shops or establishments to close, some have done so but [it is] their own decision," he says.

Crowds boo Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg during a walkabout in Birmingham. "Go home" is shouted before he is ushered into a waiting car. As the car leaves New Street some of those gathered heckle "go on, run, run run".

In Hackney, a Burberry outlet store, a Tesco Metro supermarket, Primark, JD Sports and Marks and Spencer are closed and a Ladbrokes bookmaker and an optician's have their windows boarded-up.

Shops and businesses across London are closing early today amid fears of more unrest. They include Southside shopping centre in Wandsworth and the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. On Ealing Broadway, Marks & Spencer, Topshop and the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre all closed early. The Exchange Shopping Centre in Putney, the Centre Court Shopping Centre in Wimbledon, and many shops in Tooting, including Iceland and Vodafone, have also closed.

Scotland Yard releases more information on the death of a 26-year-old man found shot in the head in Croydon last night. It statement says initial inquiries indicated the man had travelled to the area with friends. "It is believed the group became involved in an altercation with a group of approximately nine individuals. This altercation culminated in a vehicle pursuit involving three vehicles which commenced in Scarbrook Road, Croydon, passing along the A232 flyover into Duppas Hill Road where the victim was shot."

On a visit to Peckham, Labour leader Ed Miliband the first priority has got to be to restore public order. "The issue of deeper underlying causes of some of the activity that we have seen, of why people indulge in this criminal behaviour, is something that, of course, needs to be looked at," he says. "We need to look at issues of parenting, issues of aspiration, issues of prospects for people, but there can never be any excuse for the kinds of things we have seen."

The Association of Chief Police Officers says 30 forces are now providing assistance to the Metropolitan Police. The assistance is channelled through an ACPO-led unit called PNICC - Police National Information Co-ordination Centre.

Brandishing a broom given to him by volunteers gathering to clean-up the streets in Clapham Junction, London Mayor Boris Johnson says the riots are "nothing more than wanton criminality". "I ask any body who has a faintest vestige of sympathy for these people to ask yourself 'what is the good - in times of economic difficulty - in raiding and destroying businesses that are the lifeblood of our community and that give people jobs?'"

"You cannot riot on your own. A one-man riot is a tantrum. At some point the bigger crowds confronting the police realise that they are in control." So says criminologist Prof John Pitts on the psychology of rioting.

Boris Johnson has popped up again in Clapham Junction. He flourishes a broom and promises to help clean up the borough.