Nightly News   |  August 07, 2011

Parents' appeal seems to help end London riots

London's worst riots in 30 years appear to have ended early Sunday morning after the parents of the man whose death prompted the riots called for an end to the violence. NBC's Martin Fletcher reports.

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CARL QUINTANILLA, anchor: Meanwhile, tensions are high tonight in London , one day after the streets there erupted in anger and flames when a police protest spun wildly out of control. Authorities are now breathing a sigh of relief as people appear to have heeded calls for calm. Our report tonight from NBC 's Martin Fletcher .

MARTIN FLETCHER reporting: London 's worst riots in 30 years ended early this morning. And at daybreak the cleanup began. Fire destroyed this entire building, a carpet store, while 200 yards away, police detained another youth. Forty-eight arrested so far for arson, looting, violence. ATM machines were vandalized, shops looted, stores destroyed in an all-night frenzy of destruction. This was a patrol car . The police now are hoping this will not be repeated, but the people there, the young people telling me they're going to destroy -- their word -- destroy two other areas nearby. This is what scares the police, last night's out of control fury in Tottenham High Road in North London , only half an hour's drive from Parliament . Anger began growing Thursday when police shot dead Mark Duggan , a 29-year-old father of four who they described as a gangster. His friends doubted the police report , that he allegedly fired first at an officer. Saturday night Duggan 's friends and relatives protested outside the local police station. They say they did not want violence, but young thugs seized the moment, hurling rocks and bottles, a running battle with police. They torched two patrol cars, a double-decker bus and businesses and buildings. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods stolen. But today the parents of the dead man called for an end to the violence. Apart from small outbreaks, their appeal appears to have worked. Martin Fletcher , NBC News, London .