5 DAYS IN AUGUST

Why the report is being published

Following the riots that occurred in towns and cities across England between 6 and 10 August 2011, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Official Opposition established the Riots Communities and Victims Panel and asked it to consider:

• what may have motivated this small minority of people to take part in the riots;
• why the riots happened in some areas and not others;
• how key public services engaged with communities before, during and after the riots;
• what motivated local people to come together to resist riots in their area or to clean up after riots had taken place;
• how communities can be made more socially and economically resilient in the future, in order to prevent future problems; and
• what could have been done differently to prevent or manage the riots.