16 Year Old Charged With Murder

Police have charged a 16-year-old boy over the murder of a pensioner who was attacked as he tried to stamp out a fire during the London riots.

68-year-old Richard Mannington Bowes, who's originally from Bournemouth, died in hospital just before midnight on Thursday night after he was attacked in Spring Bridge Road in Ealing, west London, on Monday.

The 16 year old was arrested on the evening of Sunday 14th August, along with a 31-year old woman, arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

It follows the arrest of another man on Friday 12th August - a 22 year old man was held in west London on suspicion of murder, rioting and carrying out three burglaries, Scotland Yard said.

A witness, who gave his name as Jim and owns Big Jim's Trims in Ealing, said rioters attacked Mr Bowes when he tried to put out a fire they had started in a supermarket bin near the Arcadia shopping centre.

Jim, 40, who owns hairdressing shops on The Green and Devonshire Road, said:

"I went up to Spring Bridge Road to check on my other shop and saw him on the ground.

"The rioters had set a bin alight and then they jumped on him when he tried to put it out.''

Scotland Yard said officers were in the area dealing with violent disorder when they became aware of Mr Bowes being attacked.

They managed to reach him to administer first aid despite coming under fire from missiles, the Met added.

Ealing Council said it was flying the Union Flag over its town hall at half-mast as a mark of respect for Mr Bowes.

It is also launching an appeal to help all victims of the riot in the borough in memory of the murdered pensioner, to be called the Richard Mannington Bowes Relief Fund.