Hundreds of police in riot areas

One man was stabbed to death in the violence on Saturday

Six hundred police officers are still patrolling the Handsworth and Lozells areas of Birmingham, a week after the riots which shook the community.

West Midlands Police is warning that anyone found acting violently this weekend will be dealt with severely.

To date 24 people have been arrested, including three on suspicion of murder, after the disturbances last Saturday.

One man was killed and 35 other people were injured in the violence. Another man shot near to the scenes also died.

Supt Tom Coughlan said: "These are a small number of people who have been hellbent on causing problems in that particular community.

"We have sufficient police resources responding to information and intelligence to deal with that situation and my message is if you are intent to go out and cause problems this week then you'll be dealt with very robustly by the police."

Radio closed down

The rioting in the Lozells area of the city involved youths from the black and Asian communities.

It was said to have been sparked by a claim that a black girl of 14 had been raped.

The pirate radio station accused of broadcasting the so far unsubstantiated rumour has voluntarily closed down.

A number of other stations which had been operating without a licence in the area have done the same.

One man in his 20s, and two men aged 22 and 25 are still being questioned in connection with the murder of Isiah Young-Sam who was stabbed in Carlyle Road, Lozells, last Saturday.

Police said Mr Young-Sam was an innocent victim and not involved in the rioting. One of his friends was also stabbed in the back.

An 18-year-old man was shot dead on Sunday near the scene of further disturbances.

Two men arrested over the shooting in the Newtown area have since been released without charge.

Detectives said that forensic experts had been to the location of the alleged attack on the girl in the Lozells area but no formal complaint had been received.

Officers have so far found no evidence of an attack or identified the 14-year-old alleged victim.