The Prime Minister said water cannon – until now only ever seen in the UK in Ulster - will be available at 24 hours notice to deal with the “despicable violence” being carried out in cities across the country.
And in a sign that other more draconian crowd control measures will now be at the disposal of the police he said: “We will do whatever is necessary. Nothing is off the table.”
In his strongest comments yet on the perpetrators of the violence, Mr Cameron said: “There are pockets of our society that are not only broken, but frankly sick...It is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel that the world owes them something.”
Water cannon have been used this summer by police in Ulster and have been a regular sight at disturbances in the province. But despite calls for it to be used on the mainland – including after last year’s student riots in London – ministers have always ruled it out.
Mr Cameron spoke after chairing a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee. He rebutted criticisms from Boris Johnson about proposed cuts in police numbers. The London Mayor today caused anger in Downing Street by saying London’s police strength should not be lessened.
But Mr Cameron hit back saying: “Mayors, local authorities, always want more money, I don’t blame them for that, it’s the government job to make sure they get want they need and get the most out of what they’ve got.” all mayors “want more money.”
Instead, Mr Cameron pointed out that increasing to 16,000 the number of officers in London last night, illustrated that what was possible to “get the most out of what we’ve got.”
He said: “We won’t do anything that will reduce the number of visible police on our streets.”
Attacking the looters for their lawlessness, Mr Cameron said there was a “moral problem”, often the result of poor parenting. He added that as well as a problem for politicians it was “a problem for society.”
