Water Cannon London Rioters, Says Ulster MP

The Prime Minister has recalled Parliament from its summer recess as 'serious rioting and criminality' spreads across mainland UK.

However, while David Cameron said robust police action would be taken against anyone involved in the trouble, an NI MP has called for rioters to face baton rounds to force them off the streets and for water cannon to be employed.

All Metropolitan Police leave has been cancelled and London policing will be boosted from 6,000 to 16,000 tonight, Tuesday.

As the PM made the announcement, the East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson was condemning the way in which the Home Secretary is dealing with the recent outbreak of riots in London.

The DUP MP said: "It is a tragedy to see the capital city in flames, streets taken over by yobs and scum destroying property, thieving and terrorising.

"The fact of the matter is that these riots have gone on for three nights and rather coming to an end they are continuing because the message is going out that the liberal establishment is afraid to do what is necessary to clean up our streets and give protection to ordinary individuals.

"Sadly, it seems like the Home Secretary is more interested in keeping her liberal credentials shining rather than authorise the police to use every method available to control these foul gangs.

"The use of water cannon and baton rounds have proved effective in Northern Ireland for both protecting police lives and giving the police the upper hand over the rioters yet whilst they are good enough in this part of the UK the Home Secretary rejects them because she wishes to have 'consensual policing' in Great Britain," he fumed.

Meanwhile, Parliament has been recalled to discuss the disorder in a special sitting on Thursday.

The move comes after an emergency 'Cobra' meeting to deal with the violence raging across London and beyond.

The civil contingencies committee which leads responses to national crises is named after the 'Cabinet Office Briefing Room A' in Downing Street where it normally meets.

It has been discussing riots, looting and arson attacks that have caused chaos for three nights running - with major blazes in the Hackney, Peckham, Croydon and Enfield areas of London.

"You're not only wrecking your own communities, you're potentially wrecking your own life," Mr Cameron further warned those involved.

Hundreds of people have been arrested - including three held on suspicion of trying to murder a police officer, who was injured by a car while trying to stop looters.

The police have described the scenes as "the worst in current memory" - 44 officers were injured amid the disturbances.

Disorder also broke out overnight in Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol.

Home Secretary Theresa May who - like Mr Cameron - also cut short her holiday to return to the crisis-hit city, branded the events "sheer criminality".

(BMcC/GK)