Chief Inspector Graham Price, 55, was on shift at Lewisham Police Station when groups of youths began gathering in the town centre on the evening of Monday, August 8, 2011.

Full scale looting and destruction followed soon after, as the mob stormed the High Street and Lee High Road, smashing windows and torching cars.

Mr Price, now retired, recalled unprecedented chaos that day.

Rioters on the street in Lewisham

He told News Shopper: “Tensions had been building all day after the riots on Saturday and Sunday.

“I went into the control room in Lewisham at about 5pm to check before I went home, and saw the rioting start in the High St on CCTV.

“I think Lewisham was the second location to ‘go up’ after Hackney.

“We cleared the nick of everyone from newest PC to Chief Superintendent to form cordons in the High St. We even had CID officers out.

“I evacuated the civilian staff to keep them safe. I remembered my family were visiting relatives in the borough and rang my wife to tell her to head home immediately.”

August 8 was by far the worst night of disorder in south London, with similar scenes unfolding in other areas.

READ MORE: 2011 riots: How events unfolded in south east London

Up the road in Catford, looters broke into several shops on Rushey Green, including an independent optician, Argos, 99p Stores, JD Sports and Halfords.

Over in Charlton, police worked to disperse violent crowds, but were unable to protect Stone Lake Retail Park shops from widespread looting.

On Deptford High Street, businesses targeted by the rioters included Tesco Express, HSBC bank and William Hill betting.

The worst disorder occurred in Woolwich, where numerous shops were looted and set on fire, including The Great Harry, a Wetherspoon in the town centre.

Police resources were stretched to breaking point.

Riot police on the street that day (Wiki)

“I phoned the central command room for support and was promised extra units,” Mr Price added.

“Unfortunately, they never arrived because other areas of London (Croydon and Clapham) had more serious issues.

“Loads of my own officers rang in asking if help was needed.

“I got anyone who offered to come in! I was reduced to making scratch units of my local officers and sending them out in unprotected vehicles to patrol and deal with the riots.

“Fortunately, the main violence was directed against buildings and to carry out looting not at the police.”

“Communications completely broke down across London and we were relying on Sky and BBC News to keep us informed in the control room.

“At about 2200hrs one channel put up a map of London showing where disturbances were occurring.

“That was the one moment in my 32-year career I honestly thought we might see the army deployed onto the streets of London.”

Vehicles were torched by rioters

Police regained control later in the evening as disorder dissipated, shifting to Peckham and Clapham Junction.

Like in other affected areas, residents took to the streets the following morning to clean up the destruction of the night before.

Mr Price said: "The community the next day came together as never before.

"Those weeks saw the worst-and the best of London.

"I genuinely believe that people saw what happened that night and decided that that wasn’t what they wanted.

"They really rejected those who had used violence that night and there was a real support if not for police then for the idea of law and order."

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