Children as young as ten looted stores and made off with bottles of wine and Vodka yesterday as fresh violence flared around the UK

Children as young as ten looted stores and made off with bottles of wine and Vodka yesterday as fresh violence flared around the UK when parts of the West Midlands and Manchester were hit by copy-cat riots.

The children wore tracksuits and innocently disregarded covering their faces as they scampered through the shattered glass of supermarkets to fill their pockets with looted goods. 

The disturbances came as 16,000 police officers were deployed on London's streets in a bid to head off a fourth night of the violence which spiralled out of control across dozens of suburbs on Saturday night.

Disorder and looting rocked parts of Manchester particularly, but there was also trouble in Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Nottingham, Leicester and Liverpool - although police appeared to containing the unrest. 

But in what was by far the most serious incident of the night three men, two of them brothers aged 25 and 21, died in Birmingham after they were hit by a car.

West Midlands Police is also currently investigating reports that shots were fired at a police officer just outside Birmingham city centre, thought to be in the Aston area, according to Sky.

None of the violence has escalated in the same way as it did in London the previous night. The capital remained relatively calm last night.

Too young to drink: A youngster barely over 10 years old clutches a bottle of wine looted from a Sainsbury's Local store in Manchester city centre, and right, one of his friends runs away from the same shop with three bottles of strong Vodka 

Primary school age: Two youngsters pull the hoods from their baggy sweaters over their heads as they stand outside the looted store. The child who stole a bottle of wine is seen behind them returning with a bottle of coke

Free for all: Hooded youths spill out of the damaged store in Manchester after filling their pockets with cigarettes and bottles of alcohol

So far, 109 people have been arrested in the West Midlands, 110 in Manchester and Salford, and 44 in and around Liverpool. In Bristol there were 19 arrests for offences, including having a balaclava in your possession.

There was also a large blaze at a derelict art college in Gloucester, with several smaller fires, while police also dealt with small groups who attacked them.

In Birmingham mobs rampaged through the city centre but unlike Saturday night, when shops were looted, the gangs mainly wreaked destruction, setting fire to cars and attempting to provoke police.

Rioters continually regrouped and dispersed, forcing police to chase them. Crowds of around 500 assembled in the city centre and the atmosphere quickly turned menacing.

During the disturbances the three men - the brothers and a friend - were involved in a hit-and-run incident in the Winson Green area as they were protecting their car wash business after the previous night's violence. They were taken to hospital but all subsequently died.

Reinforcements: Police file down the escalator and stand guard at the Mailbox shopping and hotel complex in Birmingham City Centre on yesterday

Manchester: Riot police in full body armour in Market Street last night as looters set fashion retailer Miss Selfridge on fire

 

Mob-rule: A vehicle burns as yobs move away on the streets of Birmingham

On guard: Riot police stand with shields in front of a street fire in the Toxteth area of Liverpool last night which was hit by riots

Under control: Heavily protected and looking menacing, police 'Jenkel' riot wagons patrol Hackney centre to prevent further disturbances last night

Manchester: Miss Selfridge was set alight in Market Street causing thousands of pounds of damage

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