Rioters smashed windows and took dummy champagne bottles from the offices of wine merchant H2Vin in south London in the early hours of Sunday morning, says director Matt Wilkin MS.
According to police reports, an unlicensed music event was stopped in the area under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. On arrival, police 'were confronted by missiles being thrown at them'. Nineteen police officers were injured, while 16 people were arrested.
'They just went on a rampage, smashing up random windows and cars,' said Wilkin. 'There was a Mercedes outside our office that was annihilated. They smashed our windows – it's distorted glass so you can't see through – but as they smashed them they must have seen some Champagne Deutz dummy bottles, and must have thought they were full bottles.
'They also took a Peppa Pig poster inside of a sealed tube.'
Wilkin said that his team was able to return to the office today, and that the windows were due to be replaced tomorrow.
'There is no excuse for violence, crime and disorder being carried out on our streets,' said chief superintendent Pippa Mills. 'In addition to the 16 arrests we have already made, we are now carrying out a full post-event investigation and this includes reviewing CCTV.'
'Considering there were petrol bombs being chucked, we were lucky,' said Wilkin. 'Compared to the guy with the Mercedes outside we got off lightly.'
