Prince Charles visits London riot scene

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Prince Charles visits London riot scene

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Prince Charles and his wife Camilla have met families left homeless by the London riots.

18 August,2011 12:00 pm

The heir to the throne and the Duchess of Cornwall broke off from their holiday in Scotland to show solidarity with urban communities scarred by the violence, arson and looting.Speaking of the unease still gripping many neighbourhoods, Charles said it was time to deal with the real causes rather than the symptoms of Englands worst civil unrest in decades.The couple visited Tottenhams leisure centre, which has been turned into an aid centre for residents of the multi-ethnic neighbourhood of north London whose homes were burned down during violence on August 6.Rioting broke out in Tottenham following a protest against the fatal police shooting of a local man, Mark Duggan, two days earlier.Rampaging youths and arson attacks destroyed many shops and flats on the main road and left up to 200 people homeless.Two days later, copycat violence erupted in Hackney, east London, then spread to other parts of the capital and on to other major cities such as Manchester and Birmingham.Charles visited Hackney to meet youth ambassadors and volunteers at a centre for the Princes Trust, the charity he founded in 1976 to help turn around the lives of disadvantaged youngsters.Young people join gangs because it is a cry for help, the 62-year-old prince said.There are not enough extra-curricular activities and young people are lacking opportunity. A lot of people are dealing with the symptoms and not looking at the real causes.You can now go out there and motivate others and set an example for young people and show them there is another way.You are the army we have to mobilise.Gina Moffat, 34, urged Charles to lobby Prime Minister David Cameron for more funding.Moffat, who spent three years in jail, now runs a florist and a cafe in Tottenham thanks to help from the Princes Trust.You need to say to Cameron: Put more money to help young people, she told the prince.I actually thought David Cameron was coming today and I was going to ask for his help. But hes not here. Im sure youll find a way to see him.Many residents said they appreciated that the royals had broken off their summer holiday to make the unannounced visits, a day after Cameron toured the area.