London rioters could lose welfare benefits

British Prime Minister David Cameron has backed a call by the public to withdraw welfare benefits from London rioters as council became the first to evict a tenant whose son faces unrest charges.

Cameron said on Friday people who "loot and pillage their own community" should no longer be allowed to live in social housing, AFP reports.

"Obviously, that will mean they've got to be housed somewhere else – they'll have to find housing in the private sector – and that will be tougher for them, but they should have thought of that before they started burgling," he said.

Lawmakers are set to debate next month whether people convicted over the riots should lose their welfare payments, under a new system in which online petitions attracting more than 100,000 signatures are automatically reviewed by a parliamentary committee.

The petition on the rioters reads: "No taxpayer should have to contribute to those who have destroyed property, stolen from their community and shown a disregard for the country that provides for them."

Meanwhile, after four nights of violence in London, Manchester and Birmingham, a council has taken tough action and has served a mother an eviction notice whose son is charged over disturbances in Clapham Junction on Monday night.

The Wandsworth Council was responding to a wave of public anger at the riots, AFP reports, with more than 160,000 people signing an online petition calling for anyone convicted of criminal acts from the riots have their welfare benefits taken away.

"If you live in a council house, you're getting a house at a discount from what other people have to pay and with that should come some responsibility," Cameron told BBC television.

"For too long we've taken a too-soft attitude towards people that loot and pillage their own community.

"If you do that, you should lose your right to the sort of housing that you've had at subsidized rates."

Wandsworth council, which is controlled by councilors from Cameron's Conservative party, said a judge would be asked to approve the request.

AFP reports:

In a statement, it said the tenant had breached their tenancy agreement, which applies to everyone living in the household and prohibits them from a range of criminal and anti-social activities.

"There is no room on our estates for people who commit violent crimes, who show no consideration for their neighbors or harass, threaten, intimidate or cause disturbance to others," said council leader Ravi Govindia.

Stephen Howlett, chief executive of the Peabody Trust, one of London's largest housing associations, said he thought courts were likely to find eviction of tenants caught up in the riots disproportionate, the Guardian reports.

"We want the strongest action to be taken against those involved, but our preference is for the criminal justice system to be the focus."