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Britain under siege

CIVIL unrest spread across major cities in Britain as more than 16,000 police poured on to the streets of London in an attempt to halt the mob rule which has brought the city under siege.

battle for the streets: Police detain a man in Birmingham as riots that erupted in London, causing millions of pounds worth of damage, spread to other cities across the UK. Picture: Reuters
battle for the streets: Police detain a man in Birmingham as riots that erupted in London, causing millions of pounds worth of damage, spread to other cities across the UK. Picture: Reuters

Plans to prevent a fourth night of violence in the capital meant all police leave was cancelled and much of the city was shut down early, but instead disorder broke out in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Manchester, where the city’s tram system was suspended.