UK's Cameron: I'll consider using army in future riots

Britain to give police power to remove face coverings, UK PM says businesses damaged will be covered by Riot Act.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, REUTERS
UK Prime Minister David Cameron 311 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett)
UK Prime Minister David Cameron 311 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett)
Britain will consider calling in the army in future riots to free up police to deal with troublemakers, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday.
The government will also give the police powers to demand people remove face coverings and it will compensate people whose houses or businesses were damaged in riots in London and other English cities this week, he said.
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"It is the government's responsibility to make sure that every future contingency is looked at, including whether there are tasks that the army could undertake that might free up more police for the front line," Cameron told parliament, holding an emergency session to discuss the mayhem.
Cameron told the special session of parliamentarians that 1,200 people have been arrested across the country and that others who have yet to be apprehended will be in the future as their faces were captured on closed circuit video.
Earlier, the BBC reported that in London alone, 888 people were arrested in connection with the riots that started in London and spread throughout the country in the past five days. Three hundred and seventy-one of those arrested, have already been charged, according to the report.
London returned to a sense of calm Wednesday night, the BBC reported. The only serious incident that took place Wednesday night was when police officers had objects thrown at them in a north London neighborhood, which ended with 150 arrests, according to the report.