Across the borough, opportunistic looters and vandals damaged property and stole hoards of goods earlier this week.

There has been relative calm in the last two nights, as police ramped up their presence on the streets.

Below is a timeline of every key moment of the disturbances, as police battled to gain control:

Monday:

2am – Looters strike at T-Mobile and Virgin Media in High Road, Ilford and JD Sports in Newbury Park. Windows smashed and widespread damage caused.

11am – Senior police write to councillors and community leaders asking for information of “tension indicators” in the borough. All police stations except Ilford are closed to the public.

3pm – An enhanced police presence in High Road, Ilford. Shops begin to close early on police advice.

4.30pm – Gangs of youths start to gather in Ilford Lane and around High Road, Ilford.

6pm – Skirmishes between police and a handful of youths take place outside Lynton House, High Road, Ilford. Bottles and rocks thrown at officers who charge at youths.

6.30pm – Officers in riot gear form lines outside of Ilford Police Station, High Road.

7pm – Gangs begin looting jewellers and a convenience store in Ilford Lane, Ilford.

7.35pm – A 25-year-old man suffers injury in an unconnected hit-and-run collision on Ilford Hill, Ilford.

10pm – Five looters hit the Co-operative store in High Street, Barkingside, with rocks and a crowbar. Raiders escape with gold and silver jewellery from Richard Miles Jewellers in George Lane, South Woodford.

10.50pm – Raiders steal �1,000 in cash after smashing into a Tesco Express store in Manford Way, Hainault.

Overnight – Fire crews are called to at least four car fires across Redbridge. Looters strike again at Vodafone and Orange in High Road Ilford, where windows are smashed and displays ripped out.

Tuesday:

3am – The Woodford Carpet Shop, High Road, Woodford Green, is set alight by suspected arsonists. The store is gutted by the blaze.

2pm – Officials start to advise businesses in the borough to close early and secure their buildings as a precaution against further unrest.

6pm – Currys Digital in High Road, Ilford, puts up steel shutters.

7pm – 100 members of the Sikh community gather to protect the Singh Sabha Gurdwara Karamsar, Ilford, and the Singh Sabha London, in Seven Kings. The night passes without trouble.

Wednesday:

9am – Ten people are known to have been arrested in the borough and three charged in connection with the disturbances.

7pm – People gather outside Redbridge Town Hall, High Road, Ilford to show their solidarity against the looting and vandalism.