I'm technically not it London, but I work there every day.
From what I have seen in the press, the old bill should be given free reign to unleash hell on them. There was footage of a fella, he brazenly bowled up to the old bill line, about 6ft away, and launched a brick. Why the hell did that line not open up, swallow him in, and kick ten bells out of the b@stard? over a 100 arrests were made apparently - but what will they get? A slap on the wrist, don't do it again. A softly softly approach will not work - hence the copycat riots. They should go in hard and fast. Let the dogs on them, let the mounted police trample them, the lot. As for the looters - when they are found out, they should be banged up. Not 2weeks suspended, I'm talking months. Thieving little ****s.
Talking to my other halfs old man, he said a lot of similarities can be drawn to the 1970/80s riots. Tensions running high from recession etc. Back then political correctness and human rights wouldn't have got in the way of these ***** getting a bloody good hiding.
On a lighter note, I'm glad the familys living above the burnt out buildings made it out safe though.