Shops counting cost of riot damage

MANY shops and commercial property owners have been left picking up the pieces following two nights of looting and rioting in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich.

The Bullring in Birmingham opened as normal today at 10am following more trouble last night although all reports from West Midlands police suggest it was on a much reduced scale compared to Monday night.

Additional security measures were put in place including trained protection dogs while JD Sports, Footlocker and Moor Street News are among still closed today.

However, small businesses in outlying areas of Birmingham are saying they could face closure due to not having sufficient, or any, insurance.

Retail expert with DTZ Don Lemen (below) told TheBusinessDesk.com: “It is fair to say that rioting on the streets, while not unknown, is an extremely rare occurrence in the UK.

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“However, unexpected events happen with surprising frequency and it is prudent to plan.

“DTZ manages over 15 shopping centres across the Midlands, all of which have a major incident plan in place which interlinks with retailers and the wider community. Considerable proactive measures have been put in place over the past few days to minimise damage.

“Use of barriers and dogs, and the proactive additional measures, effectively deterred entry and minimised internal damage at the Bullring.”

Mr Lemen said most insurance policies covered riot damage and, under the Riot (Damages) Act 1886, local police authorities have a legal responsibility to reimburse people sustaining damage.