Via the Daily Mail:
Vigilantes were forced onto the streets last night to protect their homes and businesses after police failed to materialise at many of the scenes of looting and violence which swept across London.Via Xinhua:
As officers lost control of the streets locals were forced to take the law into their own hands, arming themselves with sticks and chasing looters away from their properties.
In Dalston and Hackney, north-east London, Turkish shopkeepers and their families fought back against looting youths, before spending the night standing shoulder-to-shoulder in an attempt to deter further attacks.
(...)
On Shacklewell Lane, the Turkish community was hailed across Twitter as being the force which saved the area from wanton destruction.
After a single-deck bus was burned out, stick-wielding shopkeepers chased away a gang of youngsters before standing defiant in the face of further violence.
One, who would not give his name, said: 'We beat up four of them quite badly and they ran off.' Another said: 'This is not justice, coming here and trying to attack us.'
In testament to the men's bravery, several businesses on the street remained open as usual, unlike other areas where shopkeepers had heeded police advice to shut their doors early.
Guardian reporter Paul Lewis described the scenes on Kingsland Road, Hackney, as Turkish men clashed with youths, tweeting: 'Kingsland Road chaotic as Turkish men attack other, predominantly black, youths with sticks, metal barricades and bricks.'
In a further tweet Mr Lewis quoted a man carrying a stick as saying: 'This is Turkish Kurdish area. They come to our shops and we fight them with sticks.'
South of the river in Tooting, near to Clapham, where high streets were ravaged, Asian shopkeepers shut up early and stood guard outside their stores with their relatives to protect them.
(source)
In parts of London, ethnic communities joined forces to drive the looters and muggers off the streets. In the large Turkish community in north London's Dalston, young Turks chased off would-be looters, and not far away in east London's Whitechapel district, young Muslim men stood guard over a mosque.
A similar incident was reported in the Old Kent Road area of London, where young Muslims were out on the street to deter thieves and robbers.
(source)
Update:
John Domokos stands with Turkish shop owners amid disturbances on Kingsland High Street in east London
Update 2:
Via the Independent (h/t London Muslim):
In Whitechapel looters attempted to break into the Islamic Bank but were chased off by incensed worshippers who saw what was going on as they left evening prayers at the East London Mosque. Muslim youths were last night guarding the bank.
