London riots 'a gang thing, like in Detroit'

Violence, looting and the fear of what fresh chaos nightfall will bring.

That's the dire situation some former Windsorites are facing this week in England as rioting, arson and social turmoil spread like wildfire across the country and into their neighbourhoods.

Stephanie Cook now lives in the London suburb of Ealing, which got hit hard. Young kids roamed the streets smashing windows and anything else in their path.

"They looted the jewelry stores, three phone shops and a local electronics store," said Cook. "They also hit a charity shop that sold electrical goods."

Violence erupted in Tottenham, England, another London suburb, on the weekend after police shot and killed 29-year-old Mark Duggan while trying to arrest him. Protesters marched on the police station there and some of them set two cars on fire.

Before long, the anger bubbled over onto the streets and the rioting, arson and looting spread into London and across the country.

"What started the whole thing has long been forgotten and now it is just sheer greed, consumerism and probably boredom," said Cook.

"We've all talked about how crap it feels to be living here now. We're bewildered and really quite angry."

That is becoming a common sentiment, as people start hoping the worst of the violence is over and anger begins to overtake their fear.

"The majority of these are kids who have no respect for anything or anyone and feel it is their right to take, maim and kill," said Mavis Grant, who lived in Windsor for decades before returning home to England. "They don't have a reason to riot. They are just feral scum. They are complacent in knowing they will not be severely punished if caught."

Despite the destruction she saw, Cook said her part of Ealing got off easy.

"Down the other end, near the train station, they hit another row of shops and burnt down a local grocer," said Cook. "The couple who live above it had to run for their lives. Their flat and all their possessions are now gone. Cars were burnt out, a baby clothing store was ransacked. A man who tried to put out a fire was attacked and is now fighting for his life. These are all neighbours - members of my community."

Cook said it's scary not knowing where they'll hit next.

"Saturday we thought it was a oneoff," she said. "Sunday was getting scary. Then for it to hit so close on Monday was terrifying. Hearing the sirens so close and the voices of the gangs.... I was so glad we don't live on the ground floor."

Former Windsorite Sarah DesRosiers now lives near Kingsland Road in London. That's where hundreds of Turkish men, many armed with sticks and broken billiard cues, hit the streets and fought off mobs to protect their homes and businesses. Her hair salon Wedge is on Caledonian Road near Kings Cross.

"Caledonian Road is quite known for that stuff," said DesRosiers, 36. "It's middle of summer, they're bored, the government has cut back. They're just trashing the place because they're bored. It's just senseless crime, thievery."

She said the situation gets dicey when the sun goes down.

"It's more at night when they come out," said DesRosiers. "What they do is they go in gangs. It's quite scary, very intimidating. They wear hoodies and balaclavas so you can't actually ID them. It's a gang thing, like in Detroit.

"A very common thing over here is stabbings. Kids use a lot of knives over here, so there's a lot of that."

She said fear that her hair salon could be burned or looted has also kept her up at night.

"They just steal running shoes and tellies and expensive goods, because they can't be bothered to get a job and earn it themselves," said DesRosiers.

"I spent two nights in bed just worrying about my shop. Will it be there tomorrow? This woman had a shop in Ealing and her whole place was trashed, burnt down. Families have lost their homes. I've never felt like this before, that threat from young kids."

Andrea Keelan, 24, a Windsorite who has lived in London for a year and a half, said her neighbourhood was looted over the weekend and a building was set on fire. She hasn't been able to get groceries because the stores are shut down.

"Everything is boarded up," said Keelan. "There are smashed windows."

On Monday night, she said rioters torched a large warehouse about 15 minutes from her home.

"Monday night was the worst of it," said Keelan. "Not being able to sleep because you're hearing sirens and helicopters and you're just sitting here wondering what is going on? Where are those sirens going to? You're getting nervous because you're watching it on the news, and the news couldn't keep up with all the reports. It was just one right after another, hitting all these different spots of London. It just happening so fast. There just wasn't enough police to stop these people."