Two years after the London riots, small businesses are still affected, emotionally and financially. That is according to a study from London academics.
The lead author Dr Rachel Doern from the School of Management at Royal Holloway, said: “Indeed, the support that small businesses have received has been mixed.
“While some have had fantastic emotional and practical support from local councils and the community, some say they have been totally ignored, with many business owners still waiting for compensation. Our study found that a lack of adequate external support following riots has increased the vulnerability rather than the resilience of small businesses.”
The researchers found that for small business owners, the riots created two businesses that had to be managed – the primary business that continues to trade on a daily basis, and the secondary business which revolves around managing physical repairs and replacing stock, chasing up insurance or funding, and appealing to customers to come back. In effect, doubling workloads.
The riots led not only to significant structural and physical losses and business closure, but also to lost opportunities for further development, the loss of personal belongings in some cases and to losses emerging from psychological and emotional costs.
“One owner told us that it was like a bereavement, but without being able to take time off to mourn,” said Dr Doern. “In these cases, moral support from the community has made a very big difference. It has motivated them to carry on and has helped to counteract some of the negative feelings associated with the riots. It has shown them that they are valued in the community and serve an important role.”
According to the study, other forms of support have varied, depending partly on the borough businesses operate in. In the best cases, councils were said to be helpful when they provided emotional/moral support, taking an active interest in the business and making regular visits, practical support such as extra rubbish removal, information and advice on how to apply for funding and financial support through business rate relief and/or one off payments or loans. In the worst cases, business owners reported no support at all, including from local councillors or MPs.
Researchers found that some of those owners were still waiting for compensation. One had filed a claim with the police fund – The Riot Damages Act – which was subsequently lost, resulting in him receiving only a quarter of the money claimed, and another had his claim rejected when police ruled that the disturbance that caused the damage was not technically a riot as it could not be proven that more than 12 people were involved. The High Street Fund was reported by many to be the most responsive and effective.
“We cannot underestimate the importance of small businesses. They play a vital role in the local community and provide many economic benefits, such as job creation and innovation. It is crucial to remember that they are vulnerable. Our study shows that both emotional and financial support can make the difference between survival and failure,” added Dr Doern.
Meanwhile in Birmingham, than 90 per cent of rioters involved in the disorder across the West Midlands in summer 2011 have now been identified and dealt with say police.
The arrest total now stands at 775 on the two-year anniversary of the disorder and on August 7 the senior officer responsible for managing the ongoing investigation warned the remaining suspects that they can never rest easy. The images of 79 people − many of them very high quality − remain on the West Midlands Police website, with officers processing intelligence about several.
Assistant Chief Constable Garry Forsyth said: “Even two years on, we have detectives regularly reviewing the information we have about the outstanding suspects and going after them.
“If you were involved and we haven’t yet come for you and you’re sat at home thinking you’ve got away with it, my message to you is that you haven’t. We will find you and we will use the full force of the law to bring you to justice. The best thing you can do is hand yourself in.
“Those pictures have now been online for two years and they’ll stay there indefinitely. Forensic science and old-fashioned detective work can get us so far, but the public can play a vital role in helping us mop up the last few suspects.
“I would ask anyone who has not yet seen the wanted gallery to look at it and get in touch if they can help.”
Speaking about the lessons learnt since 2011, ACC Forsyth said the force was in a much better position to deal with rioting if it ever happened again. He added: “We have understood the issues and made the changes that we needed to in order to deal with any future unrest − we are more organised and can mobilise more quickly.
“What’s more, our relationships with the communities of the West Midlands have strengthened significantly since the disorder broke out and I’m confident we would have much better notice if there was to be a repeat of such widespread disorder.”
Anyone who recognises any of the outstanding offenders should call detectives on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Information can also be submitted via email to [email protected].
