While London remained relatively calm last night, other communities in the country found themselves the victims of yet more violence and disruption, with Birmingham the worst affected as three men are killed in a hit and run.

Day four of the recent unrest also sees disturbances spread to Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Salford. Over 100 people were arrested in Manchester and Salford, where scenes of looting were commonplace amid the burning cars and buildings.

A further 100 were arrested in the West Midlands, where the local police will be questioning an individual on suspicion of murder after three men were killed when they were hit by a car.

Meanwhile, a young man found shot in a car in Croydon earlier this week has since died in hospital.

Prime Minister David Cameron has since announced contingency plans that include the deployment of water cannon where necessary.

During the disturbances, all types of businesses have been targeted. Commenting on what organisations should be considering in terms of business continuity in the wake of the riots, James Crask, business continuity senior manager, PwC, said: “Of immediate concern is the safety of staff and others based at or visiting your premises. Good businesses will be communicating to their staff and customers about the situation about how they have been affected and the approach they are taking to manage disruption.”

He advises some flexible or remote working solutions may be appropriate for some businesses.

“For many, the impacts will be wider than direct damage and losses caused by rioting, and a successful recovery will be driven by the actions taken in the immediate aftermath of these events. It is crucial for businesses to take a proportional approach to the threat, because a knee-jerk response could be more damaging to the recovery than the threat itself,” he adds. “Of course, many of those affected are small and medium sized organisations that might not have the money to invest in their resilience capabilities. Such organisations need to understand the threats to their operations and what can be done in the short term to manage them.”

Issues may include:

•Deliveries of stock, particularly those made at night time, may be delayed or disrupted.
•Certain supplies may be hard to come by - boarding and glazing services may be difficult to obtain as demand outstrips supply.
•Staff and customers may be put off from coming into work if safety concerns persist.
•There may be an increase in online transactions as customers use internet shopping over visiting their local high street.
•Transport may be disrupted, making travel to and from work more difficult for employees, suppliers and customers.

"Many businesses and communities have been badly affected, and it is at times like this that robust crisis management and business continuity arrangements will pay dividends to any organisation," Crask concludes.

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