England cricketers reveal their riot horror
England's cricketers found themselves watching rampaging youths being chased by police on Monday as violence in London spread north to the central city of Birmingham.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: August 09, 2011 11:03 AM IST
England's cricketers found themselves watching rampaging youths being chased by police on Monday as violence in London spread north to the central city of Birmingham.
The team are in England's 'second city' for the third Test against India, which starts at the Edgbaston ground on Wednesday.
As has been the case during the past three days in London, premises were attacked, shop windows smashed and property stolen.
England are staying in a city centre hotel from where bowler Tim Bresnan told his followers on Twitter: "Just seen the rioters in Birmingham fleeing down the main street followed by a load of police in the full get up. What's going on?"
All-rounder Stuart Broad added on Twitter: "Police vans all around Birmingham where we are right now."
A statement issued by West Midlands Police on Monday said: "West Midlands Police are aware of some disorder in Birmingham city centre.
"Several premises in the centre have been attacked with some shop windows smashed and property stolen in various locations."
Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe said: "We will not tolerate mindless violence and damage anywhere in the West Midlands and are working to ensure that the offenders are identified and caught as soon as possible."
London was rocked by a third night of violence on Monday. Riots erupted on Saturday in Tottenham following the police shooting of a local resident, Mark Duggan, earlier in the week and then spread around the capital
Initially, the violence centred on Tottenham High Road in north London, less than a mile from English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane ground.