AFP/London
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla met families left homeless by riots in Tottenham yesterday, breaking off their holiday to show solidarity with the deprived north London community scarred by violence.
Prince Charles and Camilla speak with children during a visit to the Tottenham Green Leisure Centre in east London yesterday
“Welcome to Tottenham,” said one smiling resident as the heir to the British throne arrived at the local leisure centre, which has been turned into an aid centre for those whose homes were burned down during violence on August 6.
Rioting broke out in the multi-ethnic neighbourhood following a protest against the police shooting of a local man, Mark Duggan, two days earlier.
The rioting and arson attacks destroyed many shops and flats on the main road and left up to 200 people homeless.
Charles and Camilla broke off their summer holiday in Scotland to make the unannounced visit, a day after Prime Minister David Cameron toured the area.
“You wouldn’t expect them to care, so it’s really nice,” said one 20-year-old woman who watched the royal couple arrive for a meeting with police, fire and ambulance crews as well as families affected by the riots.
“This is a very deprived area. It’s taken something as bad as the riots to get those people in the area. On one hand it’s a bit upsetting, because they should come anyway. But it shows that we’re not just a dot on the map.”
Haley Jackson, a 23-year-old dance instructor, managed to shake hands with the prince as she and some friends delivered clothes, shoes and toiletries to the leisure centre to give to the newly homeless.
She said the royal visit was important, adding: “It’s not going to bring back their houses and everything they’ve lost, but it is recognition.”