UK Riots: Water Cannon Could Be Used If Riots Continue, Says PM

UK Riots: David Cameron Gives The Go Ahead To Use Water Cannon

David Cameron has given the go-ahead for police to use water cannon on rioters, after Britain endured a fourth night of riots.

"We will take every action necessary to bring order back to our streets", he told a news conference outside Downing Street on Wednesday morning.

Three men were killed in Birmingham on Tuesday night in the UK's fourth night of rioting and disorder. Police have launched a murder inquiry in response to the incident which happened around 1am in the Winson Green area of the city.

Their names have not yet been released but initial reports suggest the men were returning from a mosque and protecting their area from rioters.

(SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE UPDATES)

As the country braced itself for a possible fifth night of rioting, the prime minister said the police had "legal backing" for whatever tactics they needed, adding: "Nothing is off the table".

Cameron warned rioters, "We're talking baton rounds, and contingency plans for water cannon.

"This continued violence is simply not acceptable and it will be stopped. We will not put up with this in our country. We will not allow a culture of fear to exist on our streets."

Responding to concerns from some quarters about the use of CCTV to identify trouble-makers, the PM said: "We will not let any phoney concerns about human rights get in the way of the publication of these pictures and the arrests of these individuals.

He added: "Picture by picture these criminals are being identified and arrested... We needed a fightback and a fightback is underway."

The prime minister said "up to 1,000 youths" were attacking police in Salford last night, and 750 people had so far been arrested in London.

"Since yesterday there are more police on the street, more people have been arrested and more people have been charged and prosecuted... A more robust approach to policing in London resulted in a much quieter night across the capital."

Cameron added that police and politicians were dealing with something "new" when pressed if they were too slow to respond.

"I've been discussing this with the police. We have always faced...problems with public disorder. But what we've faced in these last few nights is a lot of different people doing the same thing in a lot of different places at the same time. Aggressive, violent looting."

But he said the police had told him this morning that they had enough resources.

"Mayors, local authorities, always want more money. It's the government's job to give them what they need. The first question I asked in Cobra today was whether the police had the resources that they need, and they said yes, they did."

Close

What's Hot