LONDON: UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has called for those who took part in a suspected TikTok-inspired raid of shops in London's Oxford Street to be "hunted down" and jailed.

Footage showed police wielding batons in a clash with dozens of young men and wrestling some of them away, while officers on horseback helped to disperse hundreds of people in Europe's busiest shopping street on Wednesday (Aug 9).

West End stores were forced to close their shutters and lock customers inside during the looting raid, which was reportedly inspired by a social media craze encouraging people to take part in an "Oxford Street JD robbery."

The Metropolitan Police arrested nine people and issued 34 dispersal orders during the incident.

It included TikTok prankster Mizzy, who insisted in a video on Twitter, now known as X, that he had "nothing to do" with the raid.

Sharing a video on X of police clashing with youths, Braverman said: "We cannot allow the kind of lawlessness seen in some American cities to come to the streets of the UK."

"The police have my full backing to do whatever necessary to ensure public order."

"Those responsible must be hunted down & locked up. I expect nothing less from the @metpoliceuk and have requested a full incident report."

A Met spokesman said on Wednesday evening: "As of 20.15hrs officers have arrested 34 people with dispersal orders and made nine arrests."

"Four people were arrested on suspicion of breaching the dispersal order, one person was arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal, one person arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, and one person was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence."

"Earlier in the afternoon, officers arrested two people in Essex for conspiracy to commit robbery following online social media posts."

Earlier on Wednesday, the force warned there would be a heavy police presence in the area following "online speculation" about opportunities to commit crime there, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged people not to take part and decried the "nonsense" circulating on TikTok.

The Daily Mail reported that there were online posters plugging the event and urging participants to follow a "dress code" of balaclavas and gloves.

 - dpa