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The Great Kerfuffle 2011

Our British counterparts have been in a bit of a pickle over the past few days. Their city has been overrun by masked hooligans who have been setting stuff on fire and looting tea, crumpet, wig, and probably other types of shops under the guise of "protests" in what Scotland Yard is calling the worst civil unrest in memory.

Our UK office has been liveblogging the action since last night. So far they've been mugged, driven through an angry mob, and almost gotten their equipment smashed by idiots. We'll update as the day progresses.

06.55PM: When all this finally peters out, there are people who will never use the word "ransacking" again.

06.51PM: Police have confirmed that bins are on fire in Canning Town in the east of London. Uncomfirmed reports that a bus is ablaze, too, while a gang has kicked in the doors at JD Sports in Nottingham.

06.39PM: A friend of VICE's Jamie Taete sent us this photograph from Manchester. Doesn't look too dangerous just yet.

06.25PM: More from our photographer in Manchester, Morgan Frost: "They're trying to clear Piccadilly Gardens with little success. Big show of force though. All the shops now closed up."

06.24PM: Hearing rumours from a strong source that the army have been put on standby. Obviously there's nothing happening that would warrant their deployment just yet, it's just what we're hearing.

06.16PM: Important to stress that nothing resembling a riot is occurring in Manchester at the moment. Our photographer says there are "60+ officers in full riot gear in Piccadilly Gardens, more arriving all the time. Maybe 100 kids, mostly 14-20 years old. Nothing kicking off, but it's tense. Phone battery dying, will be in touch later."

06.11PM: West Midlands Police have also confirmed that some shops have been broken into in Wolverhampton and two cars have been set on fire in West Brom. We're trying to get in touch with people there now.

06.07PM: The first reports of trouble today have come through. Our photographer in Manchester is telling us that 100 youths have stormed the Arndale shopping centre, "trashing" a branch of Reiss. Image below from Twitter: