Page 154 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

The following day trouble was still brewing with the first reports of children
looting on their way to school at 8am. Anarchy had moved on to Handsworth
where a mob of 500 gathered in Heathfield Road.

Many were decked out in
crash helmets and masks
and carrying bin liners to
stash stolen goods. They
rampaged through
Birchfield Road shopping
centre and the Post Office
in Rookery Road was
raided.

The police struggled to
contain the rioters until
later that night, but the
damage was done as
parts of both Handsworth
and Lozells burned.

The Handsworth break out Figure 70 West Midlands Police officers equipped with riot gear at Handsworth
was to spark other riots during the civil disorder in 1985
across the country and
probably the most infamous was on the Broadwater Farm Estate in
Tottenham, North London where PC Keith Blakelock was murdered by rioters
who hacked and knifed him to death whilst he was trying to protect fire
fighters from the crowd.
Historic buildings fall victim to the riots – The Villa Cross Picture House & Villa
Cross Inn Public House

Villa Cross, Handsworth is the junction of Heathfield Road, Villa Road and
Lozells Road. The crossroads was shown on the 1st Series Ordnance Survey
map of 1834 as Aston Villa.
By 1891 the road from the Heathfield Road/ Lozells Road junction to Soho Hill/
Soho Road was known as Villa Cross. It is now called Villa Road.

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