Nearly 600 people have now been charged in relation to violent and destructive riots in London over the weekend and earlier this week, with police and courts working overtime to nab suspects.
More than 1,700 people have been arrested across England in cities including London, Birmingham and Manchester, with courts working through the night to process all the suspects.
Police have also opened a murder investigation in the death of a man who was badly beaten by a mob earlier in the week.
On Tuesday, 16,000 police officers were deployed on the streets of the capital -- almost three times the number of the night before. The measure appeared to bring a level of calm to the city after three nights of chaos that police seemed unable, or unwilling, to stop.
On Thursday police began raiding the homes of riot suspects.
CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy said the increased police efforts appear to be working.
"Here in London there have been 16,000 police in the capital for three nights now, and it has been very effective," Kennedy told Canada AM.
"The government has said this very large police operation is going to stay in effect over the weekend."
Doug Saunders, of The Globe and Mail, said the riots appeared to have crested but residents and police were not taking any chances, and were bracing for a possible second wave of riots.
"People are worried for the weekend when things could get going again, when people are out on the streets again and alcohol is involved and so on," Saunders said.
Meanwhile, London Mayor Boris Johnson said it was appropriate that "significant sentences" were being delved out.
"That is, frankly, what Londoners want to see," he said.
Murder probe
In a new development on Friday, detectives said they had opened a murder inquiry into the death of Richard Mannington Bowes, a 68-year-old man who died Friday morning.
Mannington Bowes was attacked Monday by a gang of rioters after he tried to prevent a building from being burned in the western London suburb of Ealing.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, based on footage from CCTV cameras.
"It's an absolutely heartbreaking story of a good Samaritan dying for his efforts," Saunders said.
Three other men were killed in Birmingham when they were run down by a car as they fought to defend their neighbourhood. Three suspects are being questioned as part of the murder investigation.
And a 26-year-old man was killed Monday night during the riots in London, shot to death while inside his car.
Cameron talks tough
Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron recalled MPs for an emergency session of parliament on Thursday -- the first time since 2002.
Cameron warned rioters and looters they would face harsh consequences for their actions, and said the state would do whatever was necessary to stop the chaos -- possibly even limiting social networking sites being used by rioters to organize.
Cameron also said families living in social housing could be evicted if members are found to have participated in the riots.
"We needed a fightback and a fightback is under way," Cameron said in the televised statement outside his Downing Street office. He said "nothing is off the table" -- including water cannons, which have never been deployed against civilians in mainland Britain.
The number of Metropolitan Police patrolling the capital's streets was expected to remain high through the weekend in the hopes of preventing further disturbances.
With files from The Associated Press
