About this programme

In the second of two films about the August 2011 English riots, front-line police officers recall their attempts to control the disturbances, during which they often found themselves outnumbered on the streets. Among those sharing their experiences are a member of the transport police who rescued a woman from a burning building, a WPC whose van was attacked by rioters in Brixton, and an officer who was sent to the riots in Hackney on his first day in the job. The programme also examines public and media attitudes to the police response, and considers how officers are perceived in the communities where they work.