Retailers furious over protest mobs

Retailers expressed their fury over lack of action by both the police and the Government

after shops and businesses in London's West End were attacked and occupied in violent protests organised by splinter groups involved in trade-union-organised anti-cuts march.

Mobs attacked stores including Topshop and Anne Summers before occupying Fortnum & Mason in a campaign organised on social networking site Twitter.

Leading retailers and property owners spoken to by The Sunday Telegraph said they had given the police and the Goverment plenty of notice about what might happen. And they said they had expected far tougher action from the police in stopping protesters shutting shops and other businesses.