South East London Updates

UPDATE 23:15: Tonight appears to be the night when - in London at least - sanity was restored. A heavy and active police presence has undoubtedly been key, but it would also be nice to think that the huge public outpouring of grief and revulsion made a few people re-evaluate what they were playing at. Aside from one opportunistic incident this afternoon, Brockley's night has passed peacefully.

UPDATE 22:15: Lots of sirens in the night, but they all seem to be pre-empting, rather than responding to problems. No significant confirmed incidents.

UPDATE 21:32: Here are 'Team Eltham' reportedly on the march towards Lewisham (via Hamble). This is like the Springfield Bear Patrol. SORRY that is not what this picture shows. Ignore it. There's no evidence they're on the move. They're still like the Springfield Bear Patrol though.

UPDATE 21:21: Lots of BCers confirm a very large group of people (approx 50) gathered in Lewisham Way, up near the war memorial, but no sign of trouble.

UPDATE 21:11: The looters are giving birth to Cameron's Big Society - Millwall vigilantes, Squatters reclaiming Ladbrokes for peace and now, apparently, a vigil in the Railway Pub by the Blackheath Conservatives. Who needs Cobra, when a thousand community initiatives can bloom to solve the problem.

UPDATE 20:57: It looks like tensions may be ratcheting up along Lee High Road. Unconfirmed suggestions on Twitter that it's related to a march by the Millwall fans towards Lewisham.

UPDATE 20:40: Lots of Millwall fans turn out to 'defend' Eltham. Photo here. Hmm... wonder why they chose Eltham.

UPDATE 20:30: Deptford Plus, the guys who prevented the Deptford Project owners from opening a new social enterprise in Deptford by squatting in their premises and who have been uttering the most relativist, platitudinous rubbish about the riots on their Twitter feed are organising a flash mob for peace right now outside the Ladbrokes in Deptford if anyone fancies it, they say bring something to sit on...

UPDATE 20:21: Police have arrested someone at the top of Manor Avenue, by Lewisham Way.

UPDATE 20:!8: Our friend who sent us the photos of fires in Clapham yesterday was just on Channel 4 News (we just caught the +1 version) berating Boris about his leadership, saying she had to have the kitchen knives out to defend herself.

UPDATE 19:55: Brockley is like Manhattan during the 2003 blackout - none of you have anything in your fridges. So the following places are confirmed open for business at the current time: Budgens (Crofton Park), Costcutter (Brockley Station), Brockley's Rock (midtown), Fishby Business (Harefield Road), Bamboo Garden (midtown).

UPDATE 18:31: Here's an image of the Brockley Cross incident taking place, courtesy of Simon:

UPDATE 18:18: The Guardian quotes the Co-Op about the damage done to the Co-Op yesterday:

"Although the vast majority of our stores have now re-opened, around a dozen remain closed due to damage incurred, including the three most seriously damaged food stores – London Road (Croydon), Hilton House (Brockley) and New Addington, which was completely destroyed by fire."

UPDATE 18:12: Just been out to have a look at Brockley Cross and Brockley Road. Both proceeding normally, lots of ordinary people going about their business. One guy putting a lick of paint on his new barber shop (of which more when normal service resumes). Quite a few groups of youths loitering around, but then there always are.

UPDATE 17:52: We just took our swollen face out to speak to the police. Confirmed one man beaten up and it appears they have caught someone for it. The smashed car was a silver Vauxhall Zafira. We asked if Brockley was likely to be a particular target tonight and they shrugged and said not especially.

UPDATE 17:42: Police now gone. Brockley Cross back to normal. The police cars struggled a little bit with the double roundabout, by the way - who says the new system does nothing for traffic calming?

UPDATE 17:36: Police just turned up en masse. Three cars and a van. Kids gone. Pretty minor stuff and Brockley Cross has seen worse, but it does not bode well. The kids were chasing someone. Suggestions on Twitter that they caught him at Upper Brockley Road and attacked him.

UPDATE 17:30: A group of about 10 16-20 year olds fighting / mucking around just ran up Geoffrey Road and possibly on to Upper Brockley Road. A rear windscreen of a car was smashed on Geoffrey.

UPDATE 17:27: Kids running around Brockley Cross chucking things around the streets as we write.

UPDATE 16:44: Greenwich was never the same since they decided to move the meridian 500m west to run through Brockley... town centre boarded up, photo here.

UPDATE 15:15: Chris reports that Surrey Quays shopping centre is now closing.

UPDATE 14:46: This is not a riot. Don't be alarmed, the Brockley Road junk shop is supposed to be like this.

We're in Brockley at the moment and keep hearing sirens in the far distance, but it may be like phantom limb syndrome, we're so used to having them there, that our brain imagines them when they aren't. No confirmed incidents anywhere.

UPDATE 14:36: Paul reports that large chunks of the high street near New Cross Gate are now closed. Many busineses in Lewisham are already confirmed to have closed early and many shops in Forest Hill and Nunhead are now closed. Lee, Catford and elsewhere all preparing for the worst.

UPDATE 14:34: Despite rumours, Forest Hill station is not closed. Cllr Harris also confirms it is untrue that riots have begun in Lewisham.

Preparations for further looting have begun with unconfirmed rumours of disturbances in a number of areas and although we are taking all of them with a large pinch of salt at this stage, we are beginning live updates again using this thread, as per last night. We'll try to stick to the facts - stories confirmed by reputable or trusted sources or from multiple reliable witnesses.

Two o'clock and all is well

Thank you for all your kind words about yesterday and today's coverage. We're glad it was appreciated.

There's already been a lot said about what happened in Lewisham last night, but there are a few more things we'd like to add:

1. Respect and gratitude due to Lewisham Council's clean-up team who had cleared Lewisham before the volunteer army had got there this morning at 9am
2. Perhaps there is an upside to having Europe's largest police station on your doorstep - although the damage in Lewisham was serious, it was dwarfed by what happened in Croydon, Clapham and many other parts of the capital. No-one who saw the video of rioting in Woolwich can doubt how stretched the police were yesterday.
3. Well done too to Cllr Mike Harris, who sounded an early warning about the danger and came in for some bizarre stick for from some readers early in the evening, as though his Tweets, decrying the threats, had somehow stoked things up. That is a ridiculous charge.
4. Thanks to the London Fire Brigade, who say they had to deal with 15 times the number of fires they would handle on a normal night.

Right now, Brockley is calm. The sky is blue. The Co-Op has been fixed. Let's hope it stays that way. There is some speculation that the area will be hit again today and many businesses in Lewisham and elsewhere are closing early. We've just come back from Kings College Hospital, undergoing some rather brutal dentistry, leaving us looking like this guy:

The staff and service were fantastic and if you'll allow us to make a trite point, an example of how strong and successful London's multicultural society really is. Nonetheless, all the talk as they rooted around in our mouth was about the prospects for Camberwell this evening, which is among the areas rumoured to be a target, along with Greenwich, according to the Guardian (a reader confirms that Southwark Council is anticipating possible problems at Camberwell Green).

So if there are credible threats or outbreaks of looting today in South East London, we will create a new thread, with live updates. It will help our coverage if you can send us your updates, photos, etc via Twitter @BrockleyCentral

Finally, we'll leave you with the soothing words of Mayor Bullock, who said this in response to last night's rolling violence:

‘I condemn these acts of criminal violence which are being carried out by a minority of law breakers. Nothing can justify this behaviour.

‘I am deeply concerned about the impact on individuals and businesses in Lewisham. Police and other public servants have acted to deal with the issues our city faces but are being stretched to the limit. The Council will do everything it can to support the police and emergency services to protect the law-abiding community in our borough. We must not forget that the vast majority of our young people are decent, hard working individuals who will be appalled by the damage that is being done to our communities.’

The morning after the night before

Brockley Kate reporting here ...
I've been up and about early this morning to check on the damage in Peckham, New Cross Gate and Lewisham. The general mood is of a strange normality, damage is very localised and most businesses are untouched. Particularly in Lewisham, you'd be forgiven for not even noticing. Clearly the overnight clean-up operation was a good one.
In Peckham the damage is far more extensive, but the independent shops are almost entirely untouched and shop-keepers were opening up for business as usual, and keen to greet passers-by cheerfully.

It's striking that in both locations, the vast majority of businesses with broken windows are chain stores, in particular bookies, electronic goods shops, money lenders and sportswear shops.

Here's a list of the damaged shops in each location, and some pics ...

New Cross Gate:
Curry's (looted)





Lewisham:
Game Station (broken window)
Superdrug (broken window)
Paddy Power (fully boarded up - not clear if that was a precautionary measure)
The Bridge House pub boarded up - again, probably a precautionary measure
Mothercare (looted)
Sports Direct (broken windows)




Peckham:
Payday Loans
Corals bookies
Western Union
a cashpoint was broken into
a chemist's
The Money Shop
Ladbrokes
Burger King
Poundland
Phones 4 U
Iceland
Primark
Clarks









The burned-out building on Rye Lane is now a crime scene, and the road is blocked off ...




There are a fair few police on foot patrol and guarding crime scenes in Peckham, very little police presence in Lewisham. The market traders are all on good form, full of beans and determined to make this just another ordinary day. The main thing which both of these areas need now is for people to get out there and spend some money, to give local retailers a boost and ensure that this doesn't negatively affect our area's economic future.

New Brockley Co-Op damaged in riots

Last night, Brockley was lucky to emerge relatively unscathed from the riots. As looting swirled around SE4, in Lewisham, Deptford, Peckham, New Cross, East Dulwich, Lee, the Old Kent Road and Catford, the distant sound of sirens racing to another location and the occasional whiff of smoke were most people's experience.

However, last night it appeared that the Brockley Cross Business Centre was broken in to and this morning, there are reports that the new Co-Op, which opened only days ago in west Brockley, was vandalised. We're trying to get more details. If anyone has a photo, please let us know.

We'd like to think that Brockley's escape was due to the warmth of our hearts, the cohesiveness of our community and the responsible attitude towards social media engendered by the Brockley Central massive. However, the more realistic explanation is that Brockley was saved by the inadequateness of its high street - unlike all the areas that were hit, it doesn't have a strong identity as a central location for people to gather and loot. Its status among property writers as "London's best kept secret" applies equally well among looters.

Or maybe the Orange mobile signal was so bad that flash-looting by mobile became technically impossible.

Be part of the Lewisham Clean Up

Team Lewisham Clean Up will meet outside Lewisham Shopping Centre at 9am today (we assume the main entrance). If you'd like to play a part in repairing the damage inflicted last night, join the team.

This is an unofficial response to what happened and we have no further information, but apparently spontaneous organisation via social media can have quite dramatic effects...

Nigel Tyrell, Head of Environment at Lewisham Council, has retweeted this message, so presumably the initiative has the blessing of the Council. He also reports that refuse teams are out on the streets this morning, working to repair the damage.

UPDATE

The official Twitter feed of the Lewisham Environment team says:

Many thanks for the offers of help. Lewisham staff has been busy this morning & sorted everything.

Lewisham braces for riots [Updated]

On Twitter, reports coming in that the recent riots that began in Tottenham have spread to areas including Enfield, Brixton and Hackney may reach Lewisham town centre this evening. It's been speculated for a while that Lewisham could be a target and now Cllr Mike Harris says:

"Threat from idiotic looters is causing stallholders on Lewisham Market to shut early."

UPDATE 17:00: Some reports on Twitter now suggesting that rioting has already begun, with one person saying that they're being kept inside McDonald's by police for their own protection.

UPDATE 17:15: The man who reported being locked inside McDondald's reports that it was a precautionary measure and that he has been allowed out, while one person was arrested.

UPDATE 17:19: Now Cllr Harris reports that the Town Hall is being closed early. Dogs and cats, living together!

UPDATE 17:23: Reports of groups of "school aged" kids running around. One window of McDonald's smashed. But also a very heavy police presence (and of course, Europe's largest police station next door).

UPDATE 17:32: Hannah, who tweeted earlier to say it was relatively calm, now says the air is full of sirens.

UPDATE 17:34: Gillian tweets this photo of a police line in Lewisham.

UPDATE 17:39: Sky News reports that police officers have come under attack.

UPDATE 17:43: Lewisham was obviously the last straw for Boris, who's finally decided it's worth interrupting his holiday to come and sort it out. Phew.

UPDATE 17:49: LeeLee has posted this photo of riot police running in Lewisham.

UPDATE 17:51: ITV journalist Charlene White says "This isn't on the same scale as Tott, or even Hackney for that matter For those who know Lewi, police station is by High St So got here quick."

UPDATE 17:59: Not for the first time on Brockley Central, the presence of kids in local cafes is contentious. Lots of comment on Twitter about how young many of the wannabe or actual rioters are. Charlene White again: "Amazing number of girls here. And they're loving it."

UPDATE 18:03: Ironically, Tesco now under attack in Lewisham according to several reports.

UPDATE 18:15: The unconfirmed list of shops hit by rioters includes: Primark, Tesco, McDonald's and a jewellers.

UPDATE 18:19: Sky News reporter says a lot of people running around (kids especially). Police say main rioting happened an hour ago. Police say they have "no idea" why this is spreading so fast and suspect this is a copycat act.

UPDATE 18:35: In another ironic twist, National Rail reports no delays to trains running via Lewisham.

UPDATE 18:43: A bus has been set on fire in Lewisham - pictures of burning vehicles in Lewisham (Albion Way) now being shown on BBC News.

UPDATE 18:50: Cllr Harris again, this time on BBC News talking about the cost to the Council which "can't afford" this. Scenes not seen in Lewisham "since the late 70s".

UPDATE 18:53: Interview continues, interviewer asks Cllr Harris "this isn't a time for political point scoring is it?" Obviously never interviewed a Lewisham cllr before. Helicopter shots of Lewisham High Street show a desolate scene scattered with debris.

UPDATE 18:55: Reports of shop closures in Catford.

UPDATE 19:04: Multiple reports that JD Sports (natch) in Catford has been smashed up.

UPDATE 19:05: Charlene White has just tweeted that missiles are being thrown at an ambulance in Lewisham. Classy.

UPDATE 19:55: Everyone wants in on the action. Channel 4 News confirms a building has been set alight in Deptford. One of our Twitter friends says it's the Greggs.

UPDATE 20:11: Shops and petrol stations closed in Brockley.

UPDATE 20:16: Damn you north London media know-nothings, according to London Fire, Channel 4 confused Deptford with Peckham, which is where the burning Greggs is located.

UPDATE 20:34: Rumour kicking around that the ELL is shut. It isn't. She's running as straight and true as ever, from Dalston to Croydon. Hang on... no not Croydon, since there is some rioting there. Terminating in Norwood.

UPDATE 20:52: @josephstash has mapped photos of the riots in Lewisham to the locations where they took place here. A couple of BC readers have reported a couple of scary moments in the area - shouting and scuffling on Brockley Road and two people threatening someone at their doorstep, but these seem to be isolated moments of high tension, rather than anything more large scale.

UPDATE 20:57: A low down dirty shame - Lee High Road's Dirty South got smashed up. Photo here.

UPDATE 20:59: Serious problems in Croydon. BBC News showing a huge fire to a building. Bus on fire too. Croydon Guardian reporter describing multiple incidents and minimal police. presence.

UPDATE 21:02: Multiple reports that New Cross rioting is taking place - Curry's being looted.

UPDATE 21:41: Photographer caught looters in action in New Cross... using an ACE van. Shocking parking.

UPDATE 21:47: East Dulwich hit - The Palmerston has tweeted a photo of its smashed window.

UPDATE 21:51: Lots of tweets claiming the Venue in New Cross is on fire. These rumours are false.

UPDATE 22:03: Video of Catford looting here (via Max)

UPDATE 22:11: An unprecedented outpouring of grief on Twitter at the rumours that the Catford Cat has been destroyed. Can't confirm yet, but we're willing to lay money that it has NOT been destroyed. Pretty sure this is another Venue-style rumour.

UPDATE 22:17: Greggs may have escaped, but there is looting in Deptford. A pawn shop is reported to have been hit and the High Street is reported to be being damaged.

UPDATE 22:25: Deptford looting appears to be getting worse. Among the targets is Ladbrokes and another pawn shop.

UPDATE 22:32: BBC News just described Lewisham as being "relatively close to central London." Every cloud.

UPDATE 22:36: Police MIA in Deptford by all accounts. Photo of one of the looted pawn brokers here.

UPDATE 22:39: Blimey, Lewisham MP Heidi Alexander interrupts the first day of her holiday to be interviewed on the BBC from New York about the damage done to Lewisham. Her office was smashed in to.

UPDATE 22:49: Keir reports that a police van has turned up in Deptford, only to have its windows smashed.

UPDATE 22:58: ITV News getting unconfirmed reports that a man has been shot in the head and killed in Croydon. UPDATE Now ITV pouring cold water on this story.

UPDATE 23:01: BBC reporting from downtown Woolwich (which can feel absolutely ghostly at nights) that there is widespread looting, with phone shops the main target.

UPDATE 23:03: Hope has four legs and a perky tail - as we thought, the Catford Cat lives!

UPDATE 23:09: Time Out has just told its followers to check this site for live updates. The pressure is on. It would be good if everyone could stop rioting so we can go to bed.

UPDATE 23:16: We've heard a few sirens going off outside our windows, as have other Brockley residents on Twitter, but it appears that in all cases, it is the police going elsewhere.

UPDATE 23:24: By the by, a friend in Lavendar Hill just sent us this photo of loot dumped in her garden. On a related note, one BCer reports seeing loot being divvied up out the back of a car in Brockley.

UPDATE 23:32: At least one car has been set alight in Deptford. Here's the photo.

UPDATE 23:42: BBC reporting that the Old Kent Road is being looted - including the large Tesco. Kids on bikes... Unconfirmed reports of fires in shops in Bromley, including Primark.

UPDATE 00:02: Report from one Brockley resident that he saw approximately 6 people attempting to break in to Brockley Cross Business Centre about an hour ago, which as he notes, is small beer by tonight's standards, "but still."

UPDATE 00:10: Woolwich looking in a really bad way. Whetherspoons burning, cars on fire, reports of shops / flats on fire.

UPDATE 00:15: Another burning car in Deptford - this one outside the Albany theatre (great venue for kids, folks!)

UPDATE 00:21: Woolwich now seems like the most serious flashpoint in SE London. A police car has been set on fire and The Great Harry pub has been set on fire according to Nigel Fletcher, Deputy Leader of the opposition at Greenwich Council.

UPDATE 00:30: A video of riots in action in Woolwich.

UPDATE 00:59: Our friend in Clapham Junction wanted to share this view from her window with you all - a fire in a shop. Almost Christmassy.

UPDATE 01:05 Right, that's it. Off to sleep. Just like the looters, we have work tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for their information and contributions throughout the evening. Plenty of time for analysis in due course over the next couple of days...

Filthy Rotten Scoundrels

Filthy Rotten Scoundrels is a BBC One series that rummages through the bins of the UK's environment officers (look, it's better than Rail Cops). As if that wasn't a glamorous enough gig for any young Assistant Producer, they're filming one episode in Lewisham, with a particular focus on the Love Lewisham smart phone app.

So they're asking whether any BC readers who've used the system would be available to be filmed for an hour or so over the next few days, to talk about how it helps address problems in your area.

If you're interested in taking part in the filming, please email us and we'll put you in touch.