Cities face clean-up after night of riots

Retailers, residents and landlords in Manchester and Liverpool were busy clearing up the mess and assessing the damage caused by rioters and looters on Tuesday night.

Bruntwood reported 20 incidents at 11 of its buildings in Manchester city centre, where a wide area saw attacks from Market Street, Northern Quarter, Piccadilly Gardens and King Street to St Ann's Square and Whitworth Street West.

Chris Oglesby, Bruntwood's chief executive, said: "Manchester is well and truly open for business. We have been working with our customers to get them up and running again. In these tough trading times it is the last thing anyone needs, but at the same time we applaud the actions of police officers and council officers last night. Everyone has got stuck in to help which is the usual Manchester response."

There were also attacks on premises in Salford, Birkenhead and Wavertree and Toxteth in south Liverpool.

Greater Manchester Police were called to 800 incidents in the city centre and said 113 people had been arrested during the trouble and Merseyside Police arrested 50 people for disorder.

Cllr Pat Karney, city centre spokesperson for Manchester City Council, said: "People in Manchester are very angry about what has happened in our city centre and it is time for us to stand together and say we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.

"We have a very clear message for the criminal thugs who tried to destroy our city centre. You will not beat us. You will not win. Manchester is open for business as usual.

"Our street cleaning crews have been out all night clearing the mess that has been left behind. That work continues today, with the people of Manchester joining us to help out. We've been overwhelmed by the offers of support we have had to get the city back on its feet, but we're not surprised. They are demonstrating the true Manchester spirit that this city is renowned the world over for and I look forward to them taking to the streets with us.

"Anyone who is a real Mancunian, who believes in this city and what it stands for, will be repulsed by what these criminal hooligans did in our city centre on Tuesday. We would call on anyone with information to contact the police and get these thugs locked up.

"The police have faced levels of criminal activity which are unprecedented and need all of us to support them to ensure that justice is done.

"We are also asking for the Government to act to support the businesses in the cities which have been affected. They need urgent help, particularly in these difficult economic times, to ensure they will not be broken by these criminal hoodlums."