POLICE who tried to hold back around 150 rioters in Woolwich have spoken for the first time about the night some thought they might die.
With Met numbers stretched across the capital during the unrest, just 18 officers were available to tackle hordes of masked looters, some armed with bricks and baseball bats.
On a night of sickening violence, more than 20 businesses were trashed, and five officers were injured - one receiving a brick to the head as thugs hurled almost anything without value at the police.
PC Fiona Genovese and Sergeant Barry Edge from Shooters Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team started work at 7am that morning and were retained after their shift ended at 5pm.
They were dispatched to Woolwich three hours later - minutes before CCTV picked up groups of looters coming from the direction of the DLR towards Powis Street.
Sgt Edge said: “All of a sudden we were met by more than 150 people who started pushing towards us.”
Many of the 18 officers were not trained in public order, with PCSOs and some drawn from safer transport teams, and they did not have specialist equipment.
PC Genovese said: “We were thinking what are our options here. Do we retreat or do we stay?” 
Sgt Edge explained: “They were trying to push us back but we held our line.
“We just slowly walked forwards and ended up pushing them out into the square.
“Absolutely full credit to the team. I was so proud of how we stuck together as a unit.”
But the situation became more chaotic as people waiting for buses and filming on their phones were caught up in the melee, some being attacked as rioters threw missiles and broke into shops.
PC Genovese, whose policeman husband was on duty in Tottenham that night, said: “They were picking up anything they could - concrete slabs, anything. People were even trying to drag out the cash machines.”
She said: “I was worried for my own safety and my colleagues. I was thinking ‘am I going to home tonight? Is my husband going home tonight?’”
It took until the early hours for more police to arrive, one van from Bexley turning up with a lump of concrete embedded in its windscreen. 
In the meantime, looters ravaged the town centre, setting fire to buildings and discarding anything they couldn’t carry.
Incredibly, After just three hours sleep, the officers were back out on duty the next day.
PC Genovese said: “What can you do? You’ve got to pick yourself up the next day and put the uniform back on.”
Sgt Edge said: “It was the hardest night of my career. Staying on your feet for 24 hours, knowing you really are the thin blue line. If you’re not there there’s going to be no one.”
“We just didn’t have the resources.”
Chief Inspector Cliff Eager was coordinating the operation from the police control room.
He said: “Woolwich was one of the later town centres to start so officers had been sent out to places like Peckham, Croydon, Clapham.
“We were struggling with the numbers. They were being run ragged really.” 
As reports of people trapped in burning buildings and trouble at Charlton’s retail park came in, the few officers at his disposal were sent out around the area.
He said: “There was nothing we could do about it - we just didn’t have the resources. Saving lives took priority over people nicking tellies.
“It was frustrating and traumatic, knowing the guys and girls were out there and I couldn’t get any assistance to them.”
One sergeant told Mr Eager afterwards he thought he might die that night.
Mr Eager said: “I could hear him screaming for assistance on the radio but knew I couldn’t do anything.”
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