Editor’s note 2: We have opened a fresh liveblog page to cover any potential rioting tonight, and it looks like the capital’s set for a third day of disturbances. Click on over to stay updated.

Editor’s note: if you’re clicking onto this page now, why not read our roundup of last night’s events? This page is no longer being updated – we will start a fresh liveblog if anything else happens. Stay tuned!

0435: And there we are, the bottom of the hour. I’m glad I was able to keep so many people informed – what started as a proof of concept test on a news site that hasn’t even launched yet ended up outdoing the mainstream media! My heartfelt thanks to all those who tweeted updates and pictures – special mention to @seanjcameron and @rickycompton for sorting through Twitter feeds and for the graphics respectively. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon covering anything new. Goodnight and good luck.

0429: Westfield shopping centre should be opening as normal – no indication that any shops will be shut despite heavy police presence and barricading.

0424: Guardian reporting that the violence was pre-planned, with police aware of that as early as 2pm.

0421: Latest is that the Vodafone shop in Brixton was looted earlier. Still nothing new emerging so I’ll be packing up at 0430, unless something new happens. Looking unlikely though.

0417: Rumours emerging that rioters and looters may be planning to attack Catford and Bromley tomorrow. Probably worth steering cleer and/or battening down the hatches just in case.

0415: A few more snippets about the Chingford looting: it seems that Curry’s there withstood the onslaught of looters but Halfords was less lucky.

0413: At last, a fresh picture! Courtesy of Alex Brandler, view from his bedroom window in Brixton.

0411: More on Westfield. It wasn’t evacuated, but police are taking no chances at all with the place.

0407: Brixton High Street sealed off. Reports of people looting local off-licences as well as big shops.

0406: Sky News reporter live on scene now.

0405: Nothing new emerging now. Sky News segment showing good blend of yesterday’s riots in Tottenham and today’s all over the capital. Brixton seems to have quietened down now – has everyone gone to bed? (I know I want to!)

0401: Pictures of Tottenham on Sky News honestly look like scenes from the Blitz!

0357: I think that’s sorted out the formatting. The police helicopter is back and circling over Lewisham, but there haven’t been any reports of violence or looting there this morning.

0349: WordPress’ formatting isn’t behaving itself, may be a slight delay while I sort that out. Meanwhile fire crews are leaving Brixton town centre and Sky News are due to show their latest footage at 4am. Dare I get up for long enough to switch on the telly?

0345: Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd’s Bush is apparently quiet and peaceful despite (because?) of the heavy police presence there. Meanwhile reports are coming in that Halford’s in Chingford was attacked, as well as the Curry’s there. Both shops are close to the A406 North Circular.

0342: VIDEO: Fire at Footlocker in Brixton.

0339: Argos in Tottenham Hale was apparently looted as well. The main focus of the riots appears to have been an easy opportunity to smash into shops and steal consumer goods rather than attack the police.

0335: BBC staff have apparently been told to avoid Westfield (Shepherd’s Bush). Seems that police are expecting a concerted attack on the shopping centre, judging by earlier reports of barricades, dogs and armed police being deployed there.

0334: LBC radio is reporting that Argos in Streatham has been hit by looters.

0332: False reports by Twitterers that the army’s been called in. They haven’t. Neither has a curfew been imposed. And there isn’t a news blackout either. Where do people get these ideas from?

0327: Coldharbour Lane in Brixton has apparently calmed down as well, with the only people present being bored policemen and cars driving away from the area.

0324: Just had a look at the comments on this page. Apparently Croydon pubs and bars were closed earlier in case the rioting and looting spread to there.

0322: Small groups of looters are running rings around the police in Brixton. Three police carriers sped up to Aldi before driving off abruptly.

0319: Courtesy of @subedited on Twitter, a picture from outside Morley’s (Brixton High Street), not Coldharbour Lane as originally thought:

0316: Westfield staff member says that police escorted staff out of the building and to the local taxi rank; nobody was allowed to leave alone. Warnings also given out about possible attacks.

0315: Police helicopter has apparently moved away from Brixton – not heard for about quarter of an hour now. Possibly gone to refuel.

0312: Another mini-map courtesy of Ricky Compton, pinpointing the buildings in Brixton that were attacked:

0311: Apparently youths DID start causing disorder in Oxford Circus earlier. A police windscreen was smashed in Islington as well.

0310: Update from the Met Police:

“Police are tonight responding to copycat criminal activity across London and are deploying officers to tackle it.

There has been looting in a number of boroughs in north, east and south London by small and mobile groups. Groups of youths continue to attack police officers and a number of police vehicles have been damaged.

Three officers have been taken to hospital after being hit by a fast moving vehicle at approx 00:45hrs. The officers were in the process of making arrests in Chingford Mount, Waltham Forest, in connection with youths looting a shop. Two officers are believed to have superficial injuries and the other has an injury to his knee.”

0309: More news from Westfield shopping centre: police have erected semi-permanent barricades and deployed armed officers and dogs. What are they expecting there?

0305: Brixton looters reportedly stealing goods from each other now the shops are empty.

0302: Edmonton Green is now reported to be all quiet, with late-night shops reopening and police regrouping at the police station. Add that to Enfield – two of the original flashpoints have now calmed down. All is quiet at Southgate after the rumoured bomb scare earlier.

0301: Police outside Bodyshop in Brixton.

0259: Report in from Westfields, apparently police there are erecting barriers by the entrances.

0257: Much better. Right. Latest update from Brixton Curry’s is that police pushed rioters away from Brixton station up Effra Road towards Curry’s.

0250: Back in five minutes, I need a coffee. Looks like I’ve accidentally reposted a few pictures from earlier without realising.

0246: No more reports from Southgate – apparently the area is back to its usual calm.

0242: Lots of people on Twitter claiming that there’s a media blackout. This is just a rumour; the Met Police have confirmed that there is no news blackout on tonight’s events. If Sky and the BBC want to be behind the curve, that’s their lookout 😉

0241: Police have said that rival gangs are now starting fights at King’s College Hospital after two gang members were admitted with minor wounds.

0239: Solid line of riot police still sealing off Coldharbour Lane/Atlantic Road crossroads in Brixton.

0237: Effra Road, Brixton, is now clear of crowds, reports Sean Cameron. Situation at Curry’s still fluid – police in the area and lots of looters still walking off with stuff.

0235: Enfield town centre now deserted except for police and fire crews, plus TV crews with bodyguards. A far cry from the rioting which sparked off tonight’s mayhem.

0234: Police reinforcements arrive at Curry’s, and the crowd of looters scatter:

0228: VIDEO: Police helicopter flying very low over Brixton. Other reports have come in that the helicopter was flying as low as 100ft.

0226: Yet more from Currys in Brixton. Where are the police? Not long ago they were reported to be there and clearing away the looters.

0222: Brixton Currys latest. Looks like the police may need to return there and post a few bobbies to keep an eye on the place.

0219: Sky News is showing footage of the Footlocker fire in Brixton.

0216: Detailed map showing locations of buildings hit in the inital rioting yesterday evening in Enfield. Sterling work by Ricky Compton on the graphics!

0214: Curry’s in Brixton a few minutes ago. Much calmer than earlier although police efforts to disperse the rioters hasn’t quite worked just yet.

0212: Kemshott School on Markhouse Road, Walthamstow, has been damaged by rioters – latest. Police are reportedly moving rapidly into the area.

0210: Police helicopter in action over Brixton Curry’s a minute or two ago.

0208: Yes, the kissing couple picture was from Vancouver, thanks to all pointing it out via Twitter – my fault for not checking it first!

0206: Police helicopter above Brixton now, reports Sean Cameron. Thanks also to Ricky Compton for supplying the map graphic below.

0205: Dalston unrest has subsided, police are now on the streets stopping, searching and arresting suspects.

0202: Graphic of tonight’s violence so far. Red spots denote areas hit by rioting and looting.

0200: Interesting picture, supposedly from Brixton earlier. Strange choice of time and place!

(edit – not an actual picture from today at all. Hey ho, I’m just a bloke sitting in my living room)

0158: Person in Brixton says hes seen two young people carrying a stolen television down his street, with one claiming to be scared about what was going on.

0157: VIDEO: Rioters fighting over stolen goods at Brixton Curry’s. (external)

0154: VIDEO: Police being driven back at Brixton. (external link again)

0152: New update from Walthamstow: BHS is now being attacked by looters.

0152: Large police presence still on the ground at Edmonton Green – riot police, riot vans, the whole works. No indication of further violence/looting/arson there as yet.

0149: Sports Direct at Green Lanes shopping centre is apparently being looted. The rioters are spreading faster than police can respond now, it seems. Indications from Brixton are that some riot police have been redeployed elsewhere.

0148: AUDIO – Brixton man describes the scenes on the ground. (link to Audioboo page because wordpress won’t let me embed this one)

0145: Police have now cordoned off Brixton Curry’s and are attempting to regain control there. Looters are spilling away down back streets.

0141: Dedication to duty in Brixton McDonald’s as an employee wipes down the tables following rioters’ attempts to smash the place up!

0139: Scratch my last – police are still very much on the Brixton scene, in Atlantic Road. Meanwhile heavy rain is putting out fires in commercial waste bins on Coldharbour Road.

0137: Police in Brixton have packed up and left about twenty minutes ago, leaving locals wondering what’s going on. There is no sign of rioters there now so perhaps the rain drove them back home?

0134: Seems the lack of news from Walthamstow was misleading. McDonald’s, the Small and Market shops have been smashed and Chingford Morrisons is alight as well.

0131: Reports coming in of meyhem from Leyton. Situation in Brixton is still fluid – just waiting on pictures from our man on the ground, Sean Cameron.

0126: Curry’s in Brixton a few minutes ago:

0123: Yobs are rampaging through Leyton – apparently a bike shop has just been smashed up there. Anyone else in Leyton and can provide updates?

0121: Reports coming in of a bomb threat at Southgate tube station, supposedly 100+ police in the area. This might be more trouble-makers trying to spread police resources; why would you place a bomb in a closed train station?

0118: Mcdonald’s in Holloway is being stormed by people in hoodies:

0112: Sean Cameron reports that webcams along Brixton High Street have been blocked from public view.

0108: Sky News reporting that 6 fire engines are attending the burning Footlocker store in Brixton.

0106: Updates from the comments: Tesco’s in Bakers Arms, Leyton, is being ransacked by youths – thanks to Lauren for that snippet. Meanwhile, Westfields shopping centre seems to have warmed up considerably – seeking confirmation.

0103: Heavy rain now falling in Brixton. The BBC’s man on the ground says that small groups of rioters are now moving away from the area. No new pictures for a little while – tweet me @gazthejourno if you have anything to contribute.

0102: Iceland on Calley Road, Brixton, has apparently had a window smashed.

0100: Situation on Brixton High St becoming calmer, apparently because the rioters have heard that Curry’s has been broken into. Looting has happened in Enfield, Edmonton and Brixton so far tonight.

0055: People on the ground in Brixton and Edmonton Green (south of Enfield, where tonight’s riots started) are complaining that it’s raining. Historically, poor weather tends to make rioters disperse quicker.

0053: Marks and Spencer (M&S) in Brixton has been set alight as well. These rioters seem remarkably well equipped with arson equipment.

0050: Curry’s in Brixton now coming under attack.

0047: “Police are responding to a significant amount of criminal activity across London and are deploying officers to tackle it.”

Official Met Police tweet just now. Good to see they’re keeping themselves up to date…

0046: the Metropolitan Police press people have finally woken up and tweeted, denying that there is a media blackout on the riots. Thank goodness, or I’d be in a lot of trouble!

0044: Fluid crowd apparently gathering around Brixton tube station and defying efforts by police to disperse them.

0043: Someone in Enfield claims to have heard a gunshot. Unconfirmed – am checking. Likely to be something cooking off in a fire rather than firearms discharge.

0040: Apparently looters are still hard at it in Brixton despite police efforts to clear them out.

0038: ‘Admiral’ in the comments to this post says he might know who the idiot in the picture below is. Apparently his first name may be Rhodes – does anyone know any more?

0035: Reports of youths now throwing more stones and bottles at police in Brixton. No news from elsewhere at the moment – Enfield seems to have calmed down or dissipated. Walthamstow hasn’t had any new activity in a little while either … meanwhile, if you’ve any fresh updates, do tweet: @gazthejourno

0032: Matthew Taylor of the Guardian reports that police are now moving to clear Brixton town centre of rioters. Someone else just said that the police drew batons after an object was thrown at their lines.

0029: Remember how youths were throwing stones at Westfield Shopping Centre in West London? Here’s a recent pic from the ground there, and it’s as busy as you’d expect at half past twelve on Monday morning.

0027: Neil Henderson, BBC Home News editor, is on the ground in Brixton and reports that hundreds of people are waiting around corners for the police. Their line doesn’t look too strong:

0025: … and here’s a picture:

0023: Footlocker on Brixton High St is reported to be ablaze. There’s an awful lot of arsonists out tonight.

0022: More of Coldharbour Lane in Brixton, police have most definitely got it sealed off. Not many actual updates coming in from Enfield now, it seems to have calmed down a bit judging from volume of actual updates/pics on the ground.

0017: Update via jc54322 on Twitter, Hemel Hempstead is not on fire. That picture was from 2005. Mea culpa!

0013: Crowd outside H&M in Brixton, apparently they are looting the shop:

0011:Brixton a few minutes ago. Not many police in that particular area despite earlier reports of 200+ youths in the area. Perhaps the crowd are beginning to disperse?

Stoke Newington High Street just now:

0007: Went for a drink, sorry about that. Nothing major seems to have emerged in the last few minutes. Coldharbour Lane in Brixton has a heavy police presence but that’s about it so far.

2359: Seems that Royal Mail aren’t immune from being targeted. It’s unclear exactly what the police are doing to mop things up out there – does anyone know? The riots just seem to be spreading across more of North London.

2356: The Hemel Hempstead reports are still unconfirmed – apparently there’s trees near the retail park there and our picture doesn’t feature any arboreal delights … Brixton was still heaving with police a minute ago.

2350: Utterly surreal, to borrow the words of Paul Lewis. Evangelical Christians have taken to the streets:

2347: Hemel Hempstead Primark’s apparently just gone up in flames. This is spreading, even as Enfield and Edmonton are seemingly calming down. Reporters from the mainstream news agencies are being dispatched to Brixton now.

2343: Paul Lewis says that many of the Edmonton rioters are in cars, making it difficult for dismounted police to keep up with them.

2342: Scene at least a third of a mile away from Walthamstow High St.

2337: Brixton about twenty minutes ago. Police are out in force there as well. The Westfield incident seems to have been overstated – no further updates from there.

2335: The Daily Telegraph’s Andrew Hough reports that a group of 200 youths are now bottling police in Brixton.

2333: Sainsbury’s on the A10 in Enfield about two minutes ago. It’s clearly been broken into but it looks strangely untouched, unlike the town centre earlier. Perhaps the force of the Enfield rioters is finally dissipating?

2329: Large group of youths in Brixton just started throwing bottles at police. Their faces are covered, apparently.

2327: More reports of things going on from Walthamstow. Two fire engines and police Tactical Support Group (TSG) on the spot now. Fire service waiting for police to clear rioters out of the way. It’s not actually clear what’s happened there – any news? @gazthejourno on Twitter if you’ve got a tip.

2322: Interesting. Paul Lewis, Guardian man on the ground, claims to have overheard youths saying that this was all pre-planned. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports are circulating that a police van’s just been smashed in Brixton (see 2318 below).

2318: Brixton a few minutes ago. This means we have a riot spreading northwards from Enfield through Ponders End, disorder in Walthamstow, gangs roaming the streets in Bow and now Brixton! I don’t envy the police’s job tonight.

2314: Latest image from Enfield High St, apparently.

… and this one is the aftermath of the stabbing on Elizabeth Ride. At least ambulance crews aren’t afraid to get stuck in.

2312: Apparently Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, has just said that trouble’s emerging there too. Two fire engines are in the area according to people there.

2308: Another youth has been stabbed outside Edmonton Conservative Club.

2304: Back as normal – WordPress apparently decided to do routine maintenance on their servers, perfect timing…

Updates from the last 15 minutes: youths are stoning passing traffic at Westfield Shopping Centre in West London, and the stabbing victim from earlier is now walking. His friends are refusing to co-operate with police “because we fucking hate you”.

2257: Whoops, WordPress just had a bit of a tizz and went on a go-slow, seems to be back now though. Krispy Kreme got away quite lightly after all:

2249: The riot’s now spread up to Ponders End bus garage, which is quite a way from Enfield itself. Meanwhile someone in Bow just tweeted that a gang of youths were walking down his road openly brandishing baseball bats. Have the police abandoned other areas of the capital tonight?

2244: Riot is apparently spreading towards Ponders End, which is north-east of Enfield. Meanwhile commercial organisations are trying to muscle in on the Twitter feed. Phone numbers for a group of solicitors and for something that looked like a surveyor’s are going past now.

2240: “Sustained and chaotic” baton charges by police dog handlers, according to Paul Lewis of the Guardian, who’s on the ground.

2237: Unknown road junction in Enfield – plenty of police in the area now by the looks of things. No sign of the riots abating; this could carry on through the night.

2231: Dropping the ‘update’ text from here on in! This is Tesco Express in Enfield as of five minutes ago:. Note smashed window – significant lack of damage inside.

UPDATE 2230: Reports are coming in that rioters on the A10 are throwing petrol bombs at passing cars. If you have any relatives anywhere near the area, please encourage them to get well away.

UPDATE 2228: The burning car from earlier (which was on Gentleman’s Row) has just gone up – apparently the fuel tank detonated. Meanwhile Tesco Express has apparently been looted but police were on the scene relatively quickly, arresting at least two people.

UPDATE 2224: A picture’s just been posted to Twitter claiming to be of armed police questioning a small group of rioters. The picture itself is far too dark to make anything out – let’s see if that’s confirmed.

UPDATE 2221: (re-update: this is apparently Nandos, not Krispy Kreme.

UPDATE 2216: This idiot took a picture of himself posing with his loot. Can anyone identify him?

UPDATE 2212: Nothing new really emerging now. Twitter’s full of concerned people but few who seem to be on the ground. Apparently a group of people have barricaded themselves inside Krispy Kreme on the A10 because the rioters have just reached them.

UPDATE 2201: Vehicle just set alight in Enfield, police say they’re aware but don’t have enough resources available at the moment.

UPDATE 2159: thanks to @alxpye on Twitter, the mysterious black police vehicle from earlier is a “Guardian” – Metropolitan Police (DVS) Armour-plated 2005 Ford F450 XL Super Duty Public Order Van. Looks like the Met weren’t taking any chances tonight!

UPDATE 2157: Paul Lewis, the Guardian’s man on the ground, says that the police have managed to clear the town centre. No news from the direction of the retail park. Tweet stream’s also being hijacked by conspiracy theorists claiming that the Met waterboarded someone in 2009…

UPDATE 2153: Picture of man being arrested by police earlier:

UPDATE 2148: Strange black police vehicle photographed earlier. Any idea what unit this is associated with?

UPDATE 2147: Someone just tweeted that a youth is on the ground unconscious after being attacked by police dogs. No confirmation yet.

UPDATE 2139: Morrisons and Cineworld have apparently been wrecked. Sky News have just got their outside broadcast team on the ground with footage of people being chased by riot police and dogs.

UPDATE 2136: Tweet stream being throttled again (thankyou Tweetdeck). Police say “several” people arrested in Enfield and an unknown number of officers in Brixton have also been injured.

UPDATE 2133: Private cars being set ablaze:

UPDATE 2130: Sky News man on the ground says the A10 is “eerily quiet” and that the mobs are moving towards the retail park. This fits with the reports about looters there around twenty minutes ago.

UPDATE 2129: Just saw a tweet flash past mentioning “Westminster tomorrow”. Suggests a level of organisation behind these riots. No more details emerging from the ground, majority of tweets now seem to be retweets from earlier. My tweet stream’s no longer being throttled, suggesting fewer tweets going onto the #enfield hashtag.

UPDATE 2126: Nando’s has apparently been set alight. Scant fresh details emerging – I may have been jumping the gun earlier by saying poliec were gaining the upper hand. A council van has also been set on fire, apparently.

UPDATE 2114: Brick wall has been kicked down to provide ammunition for rioters to throw at the police:

UPDATE 2108: Police riot vans moving into the area. Despite the mainstream media blackout (except for Paul Lewis of the Guardian) indications are that the police seem to be regaining control of the heart of the area.

UPDATE 2107: Rioters have broken into a local chemist:

UPDATE 2105: PC World in Enfield retail park has been broken into according to a few people. No new pictures of confrontations between police and rioters – perhaps the police are just letting them get on with it? Reports that at least two helicopters are overhead.

UPDATE 2102: New picture of black youth being arrested. Situation seems to have stabilised, with few new snippets of info emerging. Someone just tweeted that a rioter is hiding in her front garden – Tweetdeck’s moving too fast for me to keep up!

UPDATE 2055: 20 Territortial Support Group officers are guarding Enfield Town mainline railway station. Police dogs have also been seen on the ground.

UPDATE 2051: Police have confirmed that more resources have been deployed across London. A crowd broke into a jewellery store and were almost immediately repulsed by baton-wielding riot police.

Following last night’s riots in Tottenham a fresh wave of violence has broken out in Enfield, North London.

Sky News is reporting that windows have been smashed and a police car vandalised so far. HMV in Enfield has been attacked, with looters currently ransacking the shop floor.

Riot police are on the scene but the cause of the riots is unclear at the moment. Twitter users on the scene are posting numerous pictures of the scene as it unfolds.

This page will be updated as fresh details emerge and can be verified. Please refresh this page regularly!