Fresh help for riot-hit London firms

Riot-hit pubs, bars and restaurants in Croydon and Tottenham could be entitled to extra business rates relief under the new £20m London Enterprise Fund.

The London mayor's office is to work with local businesses, local people and the councils to identify the best way to spend the money to encourage regeneration in the two regions.

"The funding is designed to provide swift improvements so allocation of money could include investment in transport infrastructure, buying up and rebuilding affected properties and funding business rate relief as well as supporting employment," the mayor's office said in a statement.

Mayor Boris Johnson said: "We will rebuild and repair every part of our city that has been damaged and help London's businesses get back on their feet.

"For the most badly affected areas, Tottenham and Croydon, it is vital we also use the opportunity to deliver long term improvements and create new jobs and skills that will benefit these communities for generations to come.

"With this support from Government, we can not only restore these town centres but create better, more prosperous places to live, work and invest in."

The Fund was unveiled at the Victoria pub in Scotland Green, Tottenham, yesterday afternoon.

London-based businesses affected by the riots can obtain information from www.london.gov.uk/priorities/public-order-disturbances​.

Last week David Cameron promised to give local authorities extra powers to implement business rate relief for firms hit by the riots under the £20m High Street Support Scheme.

The Government would cover three-quarters of the rates of those hit by the riots, the Prime Minister said.