Met Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin has spoken to Londoners amid tonight’s violence in Lewisham, Peckham and Hackney.

At 8.20pm he appeared outside Scotland Yard and urged residents “to get your children off the streets and let my brave officers do their jobs.”

He said: “We ask people to clear the way and allow us to arrest the culprits responsible.

“I want Londoners and individuals to tell us who they are so that we can arrest them as soon as possible.

“There is nothing to excuse the levels of violence and the levels of damage we are witnessing.

“I urge parents to start contacting their children and ask them where they are.

“There are too many bystanders interfering.

“Please get your children off the streets and let my brave officers do their jobs.”