THEFT and vandalism hit Buckhurst Hill this week as criminals sought to take advantage of the riots that plunged much of London in to chaos.

Yobs attacked manned police cars with rocks and gangs smashed store windows.

In total 15 arrests were made following the violence on Monday night and early into Tuesday morning.

At around 7.25pm on Monday two teenagers attacked a police car in which two officers were sitting in Loughton Way, Buckhurst Hill, throwing a rock at a window and cracking it.

The teenagers then ran away from the scene but at 8pm police caught and arrested a 17-year-old from Buckhurst Hill on suspicion of violent disorder and a 16-year-old from Loughton on suspicion of causing criminal damage, violent disorder and attempted assault of a police officer.

Early the next morning, at about 3.40am several people called police after seeing a gang of youths smashing the windows of Zap Clothing in Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill.

Police arrested 11 young people near the scene of the crime. Two further arrests were made later that morning - all on suspicion of burglary.

The men were aged in their late teens and early 20s and are from Colchester, East London, Ipswich, Maldon and Epping.

Dean Wootten, assistant manager at Zap Clothing, said: “The disorder is spreading over much of the country. Once words gets about that police are stretched anything is possible.

“They smashed the front window of the shop and also tried to strip the mannequin in the window but did not have much success.”

Buckhurst Hill district councillor Sylvia Watson said: “These are opportunistic people who believed that the trouble in London would make it easier to get away with criminal acts.

“I have been in contact with police who said that they have formed an emergency response team to keep a handle on things.”

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