For any of you who are in London, to what extent is the rioting having an impact on visitors? Would you have any hesitancy about going there in the next few days?

Thanks,

Len

They are occuring outside of Central London, and are not in areas where tourists would be wandering.

>>to what extent is the rioting having an impact on visitors?<<

None whatever. There was some rioting and looting over the weekend in a part of London miles from the centre. Police responses were slow, both to the initial peaceful demonstration about the man who had been shot, and then to the looters who piggy-backed on to the tense situation. No reports of further trouble since early yesterday morning.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14436499

All is totally and completely normal today in central London. Sunny skies this afternoon, people sitting in cafes and going about their business exactly as normal. London is really huge and these are therefore isolated pockets of concern [small numbers of people robbing TV shops etc] in suburbs most visitors would never have any reason to go to.

I think some foreigners were confused by Tottenham (where the violence started) vs. Tottenham Court Rd in the middle of London. They are completely different places and miles apart.

It's starting to look a bit more serious. It seems there have been more sporadic incidents this afternoon, but still not anywhere tourists are likely to go. But there is concern about whether the Notting Hill Carnival will go ahead.

Sadly quite a bit more serious: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ss-London.html

There is a looooong thread in the Lounge w/ upto date reports from London Fodorites

http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...urday-8611.cfm

Widespread very ugly scenes with shops looted and some burnt across many London suburbs last night with Met police stretched to the limit. Mindless Yobs nicking stuff and running amock rather than any political protest. Proceed with more caution, maybe the day to go to one of the museums rather than shops.

Stay safe, it sounds like some London Fodorites had a rough night.

<<Widespread very ugly scenes with shops looted and some burnt across many London suburbs >>

Heard on the news that there has been riots on Oxford street as well, where a shop was looted and burned...
Looks like central London is not that safe anymore?

Now that the police is mobilising 17,000 officers in London alone and the prime minister in charge, I think it will boil over and order will be restored. Effect on ordinary tourists will be minimum, but exercise sensible precaution, as small-scale disturbance cannot entirely be ruled out for some days to come.

might monitor travel.state.gov and insuremytrip.com

but I would stay out of risk areas and go...

betterbidding.com for me great deals on 4 stars on Priceline

Tower hotel for me last $80 right on the Thames in nice area.

" I think it will boil over and order will be restored"

Or not. If thousands of young people around the country decide they want anarchy, in lots of places at once, there's a limit to what "civilised" policing can do, without switching resources away from (and therefore encouraging) other sorts of crime.

Alec might be right: it's quite possible that many have had their fun.

Or it might still be a few more days before things settle down. Or authorities might have to step up suppression to Northern Ireland standards - with the obvious risk of creating more "martyrs" and turning self-absorbed posturings about "victimisation" into real resentment.

I'm among Cameron's greatest fans. But I really wouldn't place any hope at all in his (so far invisible) skills at leadership under pressure. They might emerge - but it certainly would come as a revelation.

I'm not cancelling any planned trips into town. But I'm not making any plans for the next week or so that necessitate driving home along the Westway at night.

When I see these scenes on the News I am ashamed to be British. The feral, disenfranchised youth are rampant. Last one out of Britain, please turn off the lights.

Heres an interactive map of where the latest riots are occurring.

http://news.aol.co.uk/2011/08/09/thi...1_lnk2%7C73539

" Last one out of Britain, please turn off the lights."

When I hear meaningless gibberish like that, I'm truly ashamed to be British.

Reducing a serious issue to a vacuous cliche lifted from a Sun headline reminds us just empty-headed so many Britons are.

Thanks for that.

We are being told in newspapers here on the East Coast this morning that disturbances have "spread" to other cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool making things sound perhaps much worse than they really are.

10 Youths were arrested that had used the train to cause chaos in the Medway Towns. They burnt out cars before the arrests.

Oh, those 'disturbances' outside London are copycat violence fuelled by saturation TV coverage. They want a moment of notoreity in front of TV cameras, while nicking the latest flatscreen TV or smartphone into the bargain.

I have great confidence in the ability of British police to restore order without resorting to strong arm tactics of curfews, water cannons and troops on the street.