[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]Three nights of rioting in London and other British cities will raise the final England insurance bill to hundreds of millions of pounds.
Last days, Nick Starling, director of General Insurance and Health for the Association of British Insurers (ABI), made the prediction after further rioting in Birmingham, Bristol, Croydon, Lewisham and other locations of tens of millions, but the full extent of the looting, arson and criminal damage became apparent.
Charred remains of Reeves furniture shop Croydon, South London, following riots on Monday
The association added that it was still too early to have an accurate picture of the total costs:
“It is too early for us to have an accurate picture of total costs, especially business interruption costs, but insurers are expecting significant losses, of at least £10s of millions.”
News footage from last days events has shown a number of business premises looted and vandalized, including an apparent arson attack on a furniture store in Croydon, South London, that had been trading in the same location for over 100 years.
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[googlead tip=”vertical_mic”]The ABI has urged people affected by the riots in London and other parts of the country to contact their insurer as soon as possible. Many insurers run 24 hour help-lines and will be on hand to support people affected.
The ABI has also written to business groups to let business owners know that many commercial insurance policies will cover them for loss of trade as well as damage. People should contact their insurer for information and advice.
Nick Starling said:
“We have everysympathy for residents and business owners who have suffered damage to their properties.”
“We urge people to contact their insurer as soon as possible to check what they are covered for and arrange for immediate help. Many insurers operate a 24-hour claims line and can help people arrange for urgent repairs.”
“Home insurance should cover people for fire, looting or damage caused. Many policies will also cover people for accommodation costs if they can’t stay in their home.”
And he added that the priority for insurers at the moment is to help people through this incredibly traumatic time.
Regarding businesses affected by rioting, ABI informed people that:
“Most commercial insurance policies will cover businesses for damage to their premises, including the interruption to their business as a result of fire, looting and the other damage caused by the recent riots.”
It is important to know that some policies will cover those businesses which are not damaged but whose trade has been affected by the rioting aftermath.
PM David Cameron announced that a Riot Act police compensation scheme will operate as normal.
PM David Cameron announced that a Riot Act police compensation scheme will operate as normal, which has been welcomed by the UK insurance industry and ABI pledged to use its expertise to help the government and police authorities implement the scheme.
Otto Thoresen, ABI’s General Director said:
“The insurance industry is already paying out claims to people with insurance, but wants to do more to support the Government in helping people get back on their feet.”
The association also welcomed the PM’s agreement to its request to extend to the maximum of 42 days the amount of time claims can be made under the scheme.
The announcement came as the ABI revised its estimated figure of claims likely to be paid out by the insurance industry to be in excess of £200 million.
In addition, the ABI General Director said:
“We will work in partnership with the Government, and share our expertise, to make sure that the police compensation schemes work effectively and get compensation to people who need it quickly. It is important that, after the sad events of recent days, we do everything we can to help people recover.”
[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]The ABI is the voice of the UK’s insurance, investment and long-term savings industry. It has over 300 members, which together account for around 90% of premiums in the UK domestic market.
The UK insurance industry is the third largest in the world and the largest in Europe.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]As a result of Monday evening London riots, which shortly spread to the other cities, Metropolitan Police took drastic actions.
Groups of people began attacking officers, wrecking cars with wooden poles and metal bars, and looting shops, this was the London image yesterday in the evening. Violence then spread separately in other parts of the city.
Monday’s violence started in Hackney, Northern London, around 4:20 p.m., local time, after a man was stopped and searched by police, who found nothing.
As a result of the yesterday events, Metropolitan London Police took rapidly drastic actions.
About 16,000 police officers will be placed on London's streets in order to prevent a fourth night of disturbances
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]About 16,000 police officers will be placed on London’s streets in order to prevent a fourth night of disturbances.
The Metropolitan Police has cancelled leave and drafted in support from 30 forces.
In most of the areas, stores and businesses closed earlier in a bid to avoid the kind of violence and looting that spread yesterday through London.
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PM David Cameron promised to restore the order, recalling British Parliament on next Thursday in response to the “sickening scenes”, which prompted disturbances into the other cities.
Tuesday afternoon, David Cameron met officers in the Metropolitan Police’s Gold command in Lambeth before speaking to emergency service personnel in Croydon.
The PM condemned the “sickening scenes of people looting, vandalizing, thieving, robbing”.
David Cameron sent a message to the rioters:
“You will feel the full force of the law. And if you are old enough to commit these crimes, you are old enough to face the punishment.”
The Parliament recalling will allow Members of the Parliament to “stand together in condemnation of these crimes and to stand together in determination to rebuild these communities”, PM said.
[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]The Prime Minister has shortened his vacation in Tuscany (Toscana, Italy) to discuss the unrest, which first flared on Saturday after a peaceful march in Tottenham over the deadly shooting of Mark Duggan by police.
PM David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, outside a caffe near Siena, Italy, where they have been in vacation during the last weekend London riots
According to BBC, the Metropolitan force has released what it says will be the “first of many” CCTV images (closed circuit television network) of rioting suspects. In the meantime, 32 persons have appeared in court charged with offences such as burglary and criminal damage during the previous riots.
Among those people were a graphic designer, college students, a youth worker, a university graduate and a man signed up to join the army. Some gave non-London addresses. 18 people were remanded in custody.
Until now, 563 people have been arrested and 105 charged in connection with violence in London.
Stephen Kavanagh, Deputy Assistant Commissioner said the use of plastic bullets, which never before used to deal with riots in England, would be “considered carefully” in case of future disturbances.
He also added: “That does not mean we are scared of using any tactic.”
Officers believe some rioters used BlackBerry Messenger to organize violence.
In this matter, two 18-year-olds were arrested in Folkestone, Kent, and a 16-year-old was being questioned in Glasgow on suspicion of inciting violence through internet social networking sites.
According to the BBC News, the developments related to Monday’s disturbances included:
Violence and looting reported across London, including in Hackney, Croydon, Clapham Junction, Peckham, Lewisham, Stratford and Ealing
3 people being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after a police officer was injured by a car in Wembley, north-west London, while trying to stop suspected looters
Buildings set alight in several areas, including Croydon where part of the Tramlink service was suspended
In Birmingham, 138 people were arrested after scores of youths smashed windows and looted shops in the shopping area
West Midlands Police said a police station in Holyhead Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, was set alight
Up to 200 youths with masks roamed through Toxteth in Liverpool, while Bristol police said they dealt with outbreaks of disorder involving about 150 people
A Nottinghamshire police station was attacked in the St Ann’s area and 200 tyres were set alight in the street
Police dealt with “small pockets of disorder” in the Chapeltown area of Leeds
The Association of British Insurers said the damages will most probably cost insurers “tens of millions of pounds“.
Highbury Corner Magistrates Court has dealt with a large number of cases arising from the riots in north London.
Those who appeared this afternoon were all male and generally in their 20s, although there were some youths.
Charges were most commonly burglary and criminal damage. There were a large number of guilty pleas entered.
The magistrates said that their powers of punishment were insufficient in the light of the fact that the offences were committed during a riot, which amounted to a “substantial aggravating feature”.
A significant number of those charged were said in court to be of previously good character and had simply been drawn in to the offending.
In one defendant’s case, a lawyer described his client as offending in “a moment of madness”.
However, the force has drafted in special constables and community support officers to ensure five times the usual number of officers for a Tuesday will be on duty. Similar staffing levels will be maintained over three days.
Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said a 26-year-old man found shot in a car in Croydon, amid rioting in the south London town, had died in hospital.
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Tuesday evening has brought the news of a disturbance in Salford, Greater Manchester, where 70 to 80 young people are in a standoff with police, and West Bromwich where youths smashed stores windows.
