British Premier David Cameron decries violence, vows strong remedial action

LONDON: As riot-hit cities of England limped back to normalcy, British Premier David Cameron today announced a slew of measures to bring back complete order on the streets, promising new powers to police and strong state support to help victims recover losses incurred in the mayhem.

Making a statement during an emergency recall of the parliament, the Prime Minister admitted there were "far too few" police on the streets and that their tactics had initially not worked, but added this was a new and unique challenge for them.

Over 1,200 persons have been arrested so far in connection with the violence of over the past five days, during which hooded youth and gangsters ran amok, ransacking stores, vandalising cars and robbing whatever came their way.

Describing the violence as not a matter of politics or protest but "theft", Cameron said police and intelligence agencies were scurrying through CCTV footage to track down all those responsible for the lootings and arson.

"The government will ensure the police have the funds they need to meet the cost of any legitimate claims... The Association of British Insurers have said they expect the industry to be paying out in excess of 200 million pounds," Cameron told lawmakers.

He said police will now be authorised to order people to remove facemasks and their powers to impose curfew will be reviewed.

"So I can announce today that we are going to give the police the discretion to remove face coverings under any circumstances where there is reasonable suspicion that they are related to criminal activity," he said.