Curfews possible in future rioting

Victims of the riots are to be given the chance to speak out over what happened as UK ministers confirmed Tuesday they were looking at new powers for police to impose wide-ranging curfews in the event of future disturbances. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Government would be establishing an independent communities and victims panel to ensure those caught up in the violence "can have their voice heard". Clegg stressed that the panel would not be the full scale inquiry demanded by opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband but was intended to be part of a "grassroots process" to establish what happened. "We don't want a grandees committee, we want a grassroots process where people in the communities affected and the victims who have been so damaged and hurt can give their views about what needs to happen to ensure it doesn't happen again," he told a news conference here. At the same time, he said that the Cabinet Office would be commissioning independent research to find out more about "what happened, who did what and why they did it". Clegg said he wanted the panel - to be chaired by an independent figure - to work quickly, producing a report to be presented to the leaders of all three of the main parties within six to nine months. As Prime Minister David Cameron toured Tottenham in north London, where the first riots broke out 10 days ago, Home Secretary Theresa May said ministers were looking at powers for police to impose no-go areas. "Under existing laws, there is no power to impose a general curfew in a particular area, and, while curfew conditions can be placed on some offenders criminal sentence or bail conditions, there are only limited powers to impose them on somebody under the age of 16," she said. "These are the sort of changes we need to consider." Mrs May is also writing to Sir Denis O'Connor, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, saying that forces should be given clearer guidance on tactics, pre-emptive action, the number of officers trained in public order policing, the need for forces to assist others, and the appropriate arrest policy.