Birmingham’s business district besieged by rioters
BIRMINGHAM’S business district was at the centre of a night of violence as copycat riots raged through the city and shops and business premises came under attack.
The manager of Harvey Nichols has described how he and staff fended off up to 200 rioters who were carrying “swords and concrete blocks”.
Council leaders appealed for calm and promised a clean-up and a return to ‘business as usual’ this morning but a heavy police presence was in place to deter a repeat of the unrest, which came as rioting in London spread to the city, as well as Liverpool and Bristol.
Last night, rioters were pursued by police through Church Street and Edmund Street in the Colmore Business District as officers tried to displace looters targeting shops in and around the Bull Ring.
Electrical goods shops and designer clothes stores were particularly heavily hit, with Austin Reed, Louis Vuitton and Maplin near the cathedral raided several times.
Up to 200 rioters laid siege to the Mailbox centre, home to many of Birmingham’s most exclusive luxury stores, and Harvey Nichols general manager Kevin Breese led staff in an all-night defence of the store against ‘waves of attackers’. The Hugo Boss and Armani stores were also looted, and staff at the BBC’s Mailbox studios were subject to a ‘lockdown’ throughout the night.
Mr Breese said this morning: “The Mailbox was probably targeted more than anywhere else in the city. I had five staff from the store with me as well as Mailbox security staff, but it was quite clear that the police were struggling to cope and were being given the runaround all night.
“It was very unsettling and a number of us were chased through the centre at various times by rioters brandishing weapons – including swords and concrete blocks.
“The trouble really kicked off for us at around 7.45 when one of the Mailbox guards was smashed in the face by a rioter. It didn’t calm down until around 2am.”
Elsewhere in the city, Lloyds Bank in Soho Road in Handsworth was raided and a nearby unmanned police station set on fire.
At the height of the trouble, police closed off access to the city centre, and bars and clubs closed early as rioters headed towards Broad Street.
Cllr Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The City Council will be making every effort possible from first light to clear up any damage and bring normality back to the city as soon as possible. To this end we’d stress to retailers, workers and shoppers alike that the city remains very much open for business and would encourage them to come in as normal tomorrow.”
John Lamb, of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a complete tragedy for Birmingham, caused by copycat criminality and needless violence.
“The impact on business will come as people are deterred from coming in to the city centre, which will damage retailers at a very critical time for the economy.”
Michele Wilby, executive director of the Colmore Business District said: “We are working with the local business community and West Midlands Police to ascertain the effect on district.
“Any businesses within CBD that need support or information are urged to contact the CBD office on 0121 236 4689.
“We will also be working closely with the other city centre BIDs this morning to share information and resources to help clear up the city centre”.
Police said this morning they had made almost 100 arrests. There were no reports of major injuries, although more than 30 people were treated for injuries in hospital.
A statement issued by the Bullring today said it opened at 10am but with a few shops closed during the day, including JD Sports, Footlocker, Thomas Sabo and Moor Street News.
“As always our primary concern is the safety, welfare and comfort of our customers and retailers and we are working closely with the police to ensure we take the appropriate measures as and when required,” it added.
Pic: New Street this morning was a hive of activity with police officers surveying the damage to the Adidas store.
