London Riots in Saturday Telegraph Magazine

A for Anarchy; this was the section the end of year Telegraph supplement decided for my photograph of the London Riots. This photograph was taken in Clarence Rd in Hackney and anarchy it was with looting and rioting. The police charged and then retreated, charged and then retreated, watching cars set ablaze and shops plundered as owners watched in despair. Up towards the other end of the road people posed with beaming smiles in front of burning cars as friends used mobile phones to capture the moment. I over stayed my welcome but decided that I had as much right to be there as anyone else despite the threats. I pushed it a bit more and decided to leave the scene, dodging gangs for fear of being attacked and having my camera's stolen. Over the next two weeks I was on assignment for Le Monde travelling to Manchester and Birmingham, to try and make sense of the mess.