1 stabbed to death in Birmingham rioting

Four people were stabbed in the clashes, including a black man in his 20s, who died of injuries at the city hospital last night.

A police spokeswoman today said the dead person would not be named until next of kin had been informed.

Shops were hit and cars set on fire during the clash, and hundreds of police in riot gear were attacked with bricks and bottles.

An officer was shot with a ball-bearing gun. Describing the violence as “entirely unacceptable,” assistant chief constable David Shaw urged people not to “take the law into their own hands” and stop spreading rumours to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

Community leaders also appealed for calm after the riots.

The violence on Saturday is thought to have involved rival groups of youths of Asian and African origin.

Appealing for calm, Bishop Joe Aldred from the Council of Black led-churches said: “At the root of it are primarily young people, but not just young people, from the African and Caribbean community. Their anger seemed to be directed in the first place at elements of the Asian community because they feel that it’s Asian men who are the butt of the allegations here.”