The wheels of justice may grind slow, but when they start moving the motion is unstoppable, as hundreds of looters and arsonists in London, Birmingham and Manchester captured on CCTV are about to find out.

The Metropolitan Police and other regional police services are releasing photographs of those caught on camera robbing and burning, emulating the step taken by West Yorkshire Police ten years ago.

On July 27, 2001, the police released to local media photographs of 20 men they suspected of being key players in the Saturday night and Sunday morning of rioting nearly three weeks before – the worst outbreak of its kind on mainland Britain since parts of Brixton and Toxteth went up in flames 20 years previously.

The pictures were sourced from video footage and photographs shot by specialist police evidence-gathering teams. More than 5,500 stills were examined by a viewing team assembled specially to do the job.

Detective Chief Superintendent Max McLean reportedly by-passed normal police procedures to take advantage of the widespread community good will in the city that was voiced as shocked people surveyed the scale the of damage and realised what a blow had been delivered to the city’s reputation nationwide.

Police estimated that at the height of the rioting, the crowd was 2,000 strong, of which about 500 were actively offending.

Detective Chief Superintendent McLean said on the day the pictures were released: “We’ve talked about the crimes committed by the few but witnessed by the many – here’s the first step to identify those few who brought Bradford to its knees on that night.

“For every single one of these images we also have video footage of them committing serious criminal offences. These aren’t just faces in the crowds, these are suspected offenders. All people have to do is fill in the names and we will go and arrest these people.”

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