Pubs under siege in riots
Pubs were under siege in parts of London and cities across the country as violence escalated last night.
Businesses were looted as far afield as Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool and areas of London including Croydon, Peckham, Lewisham, Ealing, Hackney and Clapham Junction.
Police struggled to contain the worst rioting in decades as crowds of youths smashed windows, looted shops and set properties on fire.
More than 450 people have been arrested in the capital since Saturday and Home Secretary Theresa May has condemned the riots as "sheer criminality".
According to BBC news, Alan McCabe, the manager of the Old Fox and Hounds in Croydon, said the area is "an absolute war zone".
Beds and Bars group managing director Keith Knowles said: "We had to close all our London sites last night — some on advice of police, some through being prudent. Camden, and our City site were worst effected.
"I think we need to be talking to Government here on guidance and indeed effects. No business can sustain this long term. We need to work together to get on top of this right from the start."
Wetherspoon has shut a number of pubs in problem areas. Eddie Gershon, spokesman for Wetherspoon said: " The Great Harry in Woolwich has been completely destroyed and burnt down. The main thing is that no staff or customers have been injured.This is a terrible situation."
Footage on YouTube shows various pubs being attacked and looted. The Wetherspoon pub the Great Harry in Woolwich was destroyed last night.
The Clayton Arms in Peckham was looted with at least 50 youths stealing alcohol and smashing windows.
Brixton licensee Steve Corbett was hit by the riots on Sunday night. "I have a small club/bar in Brixton and last night I witnessed the trouble first hand.
"I've never seen anything like it. Kids, both male and female, some as young as seven or eight, all masked up, running riot round the streets, smashing windows, damaging cars and setting fires.
"I saw a young man pulled off his bike by six youths and then physically attacked as he lay on the ground. It took the ambulance over an hour to arrive. It wasn't pretty.
"Fifteen or so kids did try to force their way into my place last night but we managed keep the doors closed and everyone inside safe. The idiots took their anger out on passing cars instead."
Grand Union boss Adam Marshall, which has sites in Brixton and Camden, said it shut all its bars at 10pm last night but no damage was done.
"Our biggest concern was for the staff and making sure they were safe," he said. "But fortunately we came out pretty unscathed.
"Let's hope the Prime Minister and the London major get back today and get a handle on it. We are not going to give in and will see if we can open tonight but managers will be under instructions to be able to close the site up and get everyone out safely within five minutes notice."
Fightback
Multiple operator Chris Gerard, whose Innventure pubs were not affected, said: "Let's hope David Cameron flies back in to No 10 today and asks us to stand up and be counted, let's hope he asks us to demonstrate, as Brisbane did with their floods, that the British people will not be cowed.
"Let's hope he asks us all to show solidarity and go help clear up.
"Let's hope he recognises that he could mobilise our country to help each other and demonstrate to the 14-year-olds that they do not represent us.
"Let's hope that we see 1,000's of folk turning out with shovels and brushes to prove we as a country are a Brisbane not a New Orleans.
"Let's hope this is an opportunity to prove we are a great country rather than sink into recrimination and reviews."
• Have you been affected by the riots? Send zvpuryyr.creergg@jeoz.pbz an email.
