Thaindian News

London, Aug 12 (IANS) Teenaged rioters in Britain have said the looting was like a shopping spree and “payback” for the retailers who did not reply to their job applications.

Four teenagers - aged 16 or 17 - who looted neighbourhoods across London told Sky News on condition of anonymity that it was like a “shopping spree”.

They said they stole iPads, Blackberry tablets, game consoles, laptops, clothes, trainers and even nappies.

They used a van to move between different boroughs and grabbed so many items that the van was filled several times and had to be emptied between their sprees.

Riots broke out in London on Aug 6 following the Aug 4 fatal shooting of a suspected drug dealer by the police. Unrest spread quickly to other cities including Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a 10 million-pound package to deal with the damages caused by rioting and pledged to crack down on the rioters.

The teenaged rioters said they were not part of an organised gang but just “disillusioned” teenagers who cannot find work.

A 17-year-old said he targeted a store where he had been refused work.

“They didn’t reply to me emailing my CV, or going up there so this was payback man, payback,” he said.

The teenagers said their parents were unaware of their activities. One said he was told by his parents to stay in his room but he climbed out of the window to join in the looting.

They said they have already sold goods on the black market.

One of them said “it looks like there isn’t a future for young people, that’s how I see it”. Inequality was part of the problem, he said.

“We are not doing it for the fun of it, we are doing it for money to survive.”

They believe because there were so many people looting, their chances of not getting caught by police were “quite good”.

One appealed to the government to help them.

“They say are going to help us but I don’t see any of it, there has to be more opportunities and jobs. Help us at least and then maybe everyone will settle down,” he said.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on charges of causing the death of a man who was attacked in riots in Ealing.

Richard Mannington Bowes, 68, was attacked as he tried to stamp out a fire. He suffered head injuries and died just before midnight Thursday, Scotland Yard officials said.

Bowes is the fourth person to have died in the recent disorder - three men died in Birmingham after being hit by a car while protecting their property Tuesday.

“This was a brutal incident that resulted in the senseless killing of an innocent man,” Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane, of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, was quoted as saying by Sky News.

Magistrates in London have been working throughout the night in an attempt to clear the backlog of suspects.

At least 591 people have been charged in London alone.

A 24-year-old woman, Natasha Reid from Edmonton, handed herself to police, saying she “couldn’t sleep” after stealing a 300 pound television.