Birmingham Jewellery Quarter shutter-up acts as deterrent to rioters

While London remained substantially quiet in relation to previous riot action last night the unrest – including looting and fires – spread to cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham and Birmingham.

Yesterday afternoon, in a united front to limit potential damage and looting from copy-cat riots inspired by the violence and robberies in London, the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter lowered its shutters to protect premises, stock and staff for the rest of the afternoon and through the night.

Although the West Midlands Police today reported that there had been a further 163 arrests in the West Midlands, bringing the overall total to approximately 300 since the disorder began, Andy Munro, operations director of the Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Partnership said that thankfully the high levels of security maintained by jewellers in the Quarter helped limit damage by rioters last night.

He praised the work of local police, which ensured that damage and robbery to retailers in the area overnight was limited and added that this was also down to the ongoing communications between the Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Partnership, the British Jewellery Association and the police.

Munro said that as far as he was aware most retailers in the area are currently operating a business as usual approach. “Most have reopened today but whether they will close early I don’t know,” he said.

Additionally, the Birmingham Assay Office, which also closed up at 1pm yesterday, reported that the Jewellery Quarter was in decent shape. Chief executive and assay master Michael Allchin told Retail Jeweller: “The Jewellery Quarter’s pre-emptive action in shuttering up early as a preventative measure seems to have been a good deterrent. The police nevertheless made arrests in George Street, and a local shop close to the Assay Office in Newhall Street was broken into and looted for cigarettes and booze.

“The Assay Office was up and running before 7 o’clock this morning to catch up on time lost from yesterday, and we hope to get in a full day today.”

Contrary to rumours circulating on social networking website Twitter that London’s Hatton Garden would be targeted by rioters last night, reports today suggest that the jewellery hub also escaped attacks although some jewellery retailers in Manchester reportedly felt the force of rioters.

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