Police arrest three people and investigation launched after fight involving group believed to be in their late teens in east London

Extra police were called in to patrol a busy London high street on Wednesday after a disturbance the previous afternoon, with witnesses reporting gangs of young people brawling outside a tube station.

About 200 people, believed to be aged 16-20, were thought to have been involved in the fighting in Walthamstow, east London, at around 5pm on Tuesday.

Footage posted online under the hashtag #Walthamstowriots showed large groups of teenagers shouting and beating each other as Metropolitan police officers tried to restrain them. Some could be seen wrestling on the floor.

Police said the group was dispersed shortly before 9pm. Three people were arrested, but no one was seriously injured. Officers remained on the scene to ensure that the group left and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

Waltham Forest MPS (@MPSWForest) Large group of youths in #Walthamstow area now dispersed. No injuries and 3 arrests. 1/2

Waltham Forest MPS (@MPSWForest) Officers remaining in #Walthamstow area to ensure the group remains dispersed. Investigation into incident is ongoing. 2/2

Mr A1 (@A1Pabs) Royal Rumble #WalthamstowRiots pic.twitter.com/irPNSTpLaX

Ramel Forde (@RamelForde) Madness In Walthamstow, Chingford Rd 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/SROBhKWSIq

The Met said that a 16-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were arrested on suspicion of affray, and an 18-year-old was detained on suspicion of violent disorder. All three remained in custody on Wednesday afternoon.

Ch Insp Jon Simpson, from Waltham Forest borough, said: “We are working closely with our colleagues at Waltham Forest council and local schools to identify those responsible for any criminal acts.

“The vast number of children who congregated in the area yesterday were merely there to watch and film on their phones rather than to participate in any criminal activities.”

Gavin Rugg, who witnessed the incident, said he saw about 15 males fighting in Hoe Street and several other smaller clashes between young people nearby. He told the Evening Standard: “I just came out of Walthamstow Central station and they mentioned there had been a police incident.

“There were some guys wearing hoodies who were facing off with police. It looked like they were arresting someone. I was surprised – I have only moved to the area a couple of months ago from Stockwell and I have never seen anything like this before.”

Samee Ullah, a nearby shopowner, told the Walthamstow Guardian: “I looked out and I saw hundreds of kids shouting and screaming, they were coming from the Hoe Street end.



“It looked like someone had gone into Nando’s and they were waiting for them to come out. They brought the whole street to a standstill. We asked some of them and they said it was ‘college fights’. To be honest, people have been talking about riots but it wasn’t exactly that.

“There was a mix of kids – all ethnicities – and they weren’t all being aggressive. We thought about pulling the shutters and the police told us to stay inside before they cordoned off the end of the road.”

The area’s MP, Stella Creasy, urged people to avoid the area. “Furious to hear there is a fight outside Walthamstow Central station – will be following up with police but pls stay clear of area for now,” she tweeted.

stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) Furious to hear there is a fight outside Walthamstow Central station - will be following up with police but pls stay clear of area for now.

She later added: “Reading e17’ers tweets today about yesterday’s incident – seems dear Deirdre has competition as so many giving young women love life advice!”

stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) Reading e17'ers tweets today about yesterday's incident-seems dear Deirdre has competition as so many giving young women love life advice! 😜

Local residents speculated that the fight involved pupils from Sir George Monoux college and Leyton Sixth Form college.



Paolo Ramella, principal of Sir George Monoux, said the school was looking into the incident. He said in a statement: “We have been advised of an incident which took place on 6 October 2015, around 5pm outside Walthamstow Central station.

“The college is currently investigating and working closely with local police to find out if any of our students were involved. Sir George Monoux college has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour, whether inside or outside of college.

“If any of our students are found to be involved in any way, they will face serious consequences.”

Kevin Watson, headteacher of Leyton, said: “The college is cooperating fully with the police following last evening’s disturbance. Clearly, we take such incidents very seriously and will respond accordingly if and when more information becomes available.”

The Met said it had deployed extra high-visibility patrols in the Walthamstow area on Wednesday afternoon for the end of the school day to reassure local residents and businesses.

There was a noticeable police presence, with officers outside Walthamstow underground station and the local McDonald’s, which was closed at about 3pm as a precaution. About 40 children gathered outside the restaurant at one point but there was no repetition of the previous day’s disturbance.

Nilufar, who works in a bakery next to the McDonald’s, told the Guardian his shop had to close early on Tuesday because of the incident.

“They affected our business as well; no one came to the shop for a couple of hours,” he added. “We were scared, we were worried about the business and them coming into the shop. But we haven’t heard or seen anything today. I’ve been living in this area for 13 years and nothing like this has happened before.”

The incident followed another fight involving more than 100 young people at a branch of McDonald’s in Hoe Street on Monday afternoon, the Standard reported.