Leeds riots: The huge armoured vehicles police sent onto streets at last major disorder

Leeds went up in flames on Thursday night, after rioters took to the street torching a double decker bus and flipping a police car.

The violence has shocked local communities and politicians alike and has brought back unwelcome memories of past riots.

One of those occurred in London thirteen years ago and forced the police to deploy armoured vehicles for the first time ever, in order to bring order back to the streets.

Violent riots and looting broke out in London in 2011 in what police described at the time as the worst in living memory.

The capital was gripped by disorder and violence, as riots spread from north to east, west and south London over a decade ago.

Mobs of looters stormed shops such as Debenhams and started fires throughout the capital.

Authorities were forced to deploy over 6,000 police personnel to try and quell the violence - these included 2,500 mostly public order-trained officers and 3,500 local ones.

Additionally, armoured vehicles - known as Jankels - were rolled out onto the capital's streets to help police restore order.

The vehicles were sent to Clapham Junction where much of the worst looting and arson took place.

They were driven onto Lavender Hill to push back a crowd of 150 looters and were also used in Hackney.

Jankel was a UK company until very recently, that produced armoured vehicles for the military and police forces around the world.

The company's first security-related vehicles were armoured Jaguars for the RUC in 1997.

These were followed by a specialist fleet of Guardian counter-terror/anti-riot vehicles for the Met and then Essex Police forces.

However, in February Jankel Armouring Limited entered administration, with many of its assets snapped up by NP Aerospace.

The UK's new Home Secretary condemned the violence in Leeds last night, saying she was "appalled at the shocking scenes".

Yvette Cooper added: "Disorder of this nature has no place in our society."