These riots have nothing to do with Mark Duggan

As I write this there are sirens buzzing past my window, a bin on fire outside my flat and a Carphone Warehouse store smashed-in down the road. But that's nothing compared to the sights we've seen in places like Hackney, Clapham, Croydon and now areas outside of London such as Birmingham and Liverpool.

And why is this happening? There's no answer anymore. It's pointless even trying to look for one. One looter was caught on camera explaining it 'was fun' while another claimed they were getting their 'taxes back'. Quite how much tax a 15-year-old boy pays I'm not sure.

What started on Saturday as a vigil protest against police for the shooting of a local Tottenham man called Mark Duggan has resulted in mindless violence with no cause, no reasoning behind it. Nick Clegg came in for criticism yesterday when he used the word 'mindless' to describe the riots, but he's right. I'm willing to bet that most of the vandals - many of whom are teenagers - causing this mayhem have never even heard of Duggan.

Pundits and politicians are desperate to politicise the events of the past few days but there's little point attempting to apply rationale to people like this. What political agenda could possibly lead a bunch of teenagers to loot a Nandos?

Make no mistake, they're not crusaders on some just cause, most of them don't even have a point to make, these are morons acting like morons — nothing more, nothing less. It must actually be insulting to Mark Duggan's family and friends — who have spoken out against the riots — that people are doing this in his name, using his death as an excuse to steal some crappy trainers from a JJB Sports.

The most infuriating part of the evening's coverage came when Sky News interviewed a man whose family business — a furniture shop in Croydon — was burned to the ground along with his livelihood. How is he to blame for anything? What has he done to deserve this? For trying to build something up he gets punished by those who are hellbent on tearing everything down.

Not only that but as I write this there are reports that flats and other residential areas being set alight. There's literally no explanation why people are being made to endure such chaos just so some can enjoy their teenage kicks.

It's days like today I feel ashamed to be British. We can't even protest without it turning into downright thuggery. Welcome back from your holidays David and Boris. Get those water cannons from Ireland and fix this. And in the words of the police; parents, find out where your children are.