Unrest and looting spreads to more British towns

A wave of violence and looting that started in London last weekend has spread to other British towns; first casualty reported. Street violence, described as "the worst in 25 years", was seen last night in Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool. Unrest and looting spreads to more British towns In London, "groups of youths" went on a rampage for a third night, burning buildings, homes and vehicles, looting from stores and pelting police with bottles and pyrotechnics. On Tuesday, one person died from a gunshot wound sustained last night. The violence was seen in poor and affluent neighborhoods of the British capital alike, while at dawn, the situation was calmer - either because of police activities, or because the perpetrators started to leave - according to reports. Meanwhile, police said 525 persons were arrested, while according to reports earlier on Tuesday charges were brought against 69 - among them a group suspected of attempted murder of a police officer. Police moved in with hundreds of reinforcements overnight, and decided to deploy armored vehicles in some of the hardest-hit districts, but still failed to control the chaos on the streets of London, Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool. Officials described the incidents as "mindless violence with no justification", and admitted police resources were being spread thin. It seems there are few common causes for the violence in the four towns, although some participants in the riots say they were protesting against the country's austerity measures, that include cuts in social spending and plans to lay off of tens of thousands of people in the public sector by 2015. Others were drawn by an opportunity to "run wild", said reports. "Join in the fun," a young man was shouting in the London district of Hackney, while running down a street lined with looted stores and burned cars. The unrest in London started when police in Tottenham over the weekend shot dead a man under still unclear circumstances. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his vacation and returned to the country to convene his emergency committee. His ruling coalition is expected to be put to the test, with some members previously expressing fear that big budget cuts could cause resistance in the population. more photos (Beta/AP)

Unrest and looting spreads to more British towns

In London, "groups of youths" went on a rampage for a third night, burning buildings, homes and vehicles, looting from stores and pelting police with bottles and pyrotechnics. On Tuesday, one person died from a gunshot wound sustained last night.

The violence was seen in poor and affluent neighborhoods of the British capital alike, while at dawn, the situation was calmer - either because of police activities, or because the perpetrators started to leave - according to reports.

Meanwhile, police said 525 persons were arrested, while according to reports earlier on Tuesday charges were brought against 69 - among them a group suspected of attempted murder of a police officer.

Police moved in with hundreds of reinforcements overnight, and decided to deploy armored vehicles in some of the hardest-hit districts, but still failed to control the chaos on the streets of London, Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.

Officials described the incidents as "mindless violence with no justification", and admitted police resources were being spread thin.

It seems there are few common causes for the violence in the four towns, although some participants in the riots say they were protesting against the country's austerity measures, that include cuts in social spending and plans to lay off of tens of thousands of people in the public sector by 2015.

Others were drawn by an opportunity to "run wild", said reports. "Join in the fun," a young man was shouting in the London district of Hackney, while running down a street lined with looted stores and burned cars.

The unrest in London started when police in Tottenham over the weekend shot dead a man under still unclear circumstances.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his vacation and returned to the country to convene his emergency committee. His ruling coalition is expected to be put to the test, with some members previously expressing fear that big budget cuts could cause resistance in the population.

more photos