I Love Tottenham campaign launched in London riots area

A campaign encouraging people to support local firms has been launched in the part of north London where rioting first broke out in August.

The I Love Tottenham project asks for customers to help boost business and allow the area to recover.

Shops and homes were gutted when fires broke out and there was also looting.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is backing the campaign, with captain Michael Dawson saying it was "time to try and put things right".

The disorder broke out on 6 August, following a peaceful vigil involving family and friends of Mark Duggan, a man shot dead by Metropolitan Police officers in Tottenham Hale.

It led to three nights of serious violence, which spread to many other suburbs around London and also other English cities such as Birmingham and Manchester.

Among the casualties of the rioting in Tottenham was the landmark Allied Carpets building which, along with the flats above it, had to be demolished.

"We always used to go down the road and turn out where the carpet shop was," Dawson told BBC London 94.9.

"When it was all happening, the lads were watching it and seeing it on the news.

"Our hearts went out to everyone who had been affected by it," he added.

There was widespread damage to the High Road in Tottenham during the disorder in August

"Now it's time to try and put things right.

"Ourselves and the club are backing that and trying to get as many other people doing that as well."

Spurs have invited local traders plus staff from the emergency services, Haringey Council and the badly-damaged Sony distribution centre in Enfield to attend their Europa League match against Russian side Rubin Kazan for free.

The campaign was launched on Saturday by Haringey Council, along with Tottenham MP David Lammy and ex-Spurs defender and captain Gary Mabbutt.