In the aftermath of last night's rioting in the West End of London, it's been a day for assessment of the damage done, and reflection on the scale of the violence and its causes. The Home Secretary, Mr David Waddington, has been to the area where the disturbances were centred, on Saint Martin's Lane, and Charing Cross Road, near Trafalgar Square. He was met by a hostile crowd, and there were more arrests.
The Prime Minister, and politicians of all sides, have joined in condemnation of yesterday's trouble, which happened after a rally against the Community Charge. Mrs Thatcher expressed her “absolute horror”&em;she said people had the right to demonstrate peacefully, but there was no excuse for turning to violence. Of the more than one hundred and thirty people injured in the disturbances, seven are still in hospital. …