Tottenham's MP David Lammy has appealed for calm after riots in his constituency on Saturday evening which left eight policemen in hospital.

Police faced petrol bombs while three patrol cars were set on fire after trouble flared following protests over the killing of Mark Duggan by police on Thursday.

In a statement Lammy said it was important not to go back to the "destructive conflicts" of the past.

He said: "The scenes currently taking place in our community are not representative of the vast majority of people in Tottenham. Those who remember the destructive conflicts of the past will be determined not to go back to them.

"We already have one grieving family in our community and further violence will not heal that pain.

"True justice can only follow a thorough investigation of the facts.

"The Tottenham community and Mark Duggan's family and friends need to understand what happened on Thursday evening when Mark lost his life. To understand those facts, we must have calm."

In 1985 a policeman was murdered after riots in Broadwater Farm, Tottenham and another shot after a woman died during a police raid.

A Number 10 spokesman condemned the riots as "unacceptable". In a statement released on Sunday he said: "The rioting in Tottenham last night was utterly unacceptable. There is no justification for the aggression the police and the public faced, or for the damage to property. There is now a police investigation into the rioting and we should let that process happen."

Metropolitan police Commander Stephen Watson said: "These are very distressing scenes for Londoners in general and the local community in particular.

"It's important we emphasise that the safety of the public is of paramount importance to us.

"Our intention at this time is to bring things to as swift a conclusion as we can. Our absolute aim is to restore normality."

Commander Watson said those responsible would be arrested once the situation was brought under control: "We are in a position to capture evidence of people committing offences and we will make arrests in the fullness of time. But arrests for these offences are secondary to preventing harm to the public.

"We will seek to bring these offenders to justice but only after we have established normality and peacefulness, and given breathing space to local residents who must be very troubled by what is going on."