BRIXTON: A teacher today spoke of her terror when she returned to her London home as rioting swept the capital.

Polly Hazlewood, originally from Holbrook, returned from a trip to Italy on Sunday night to find looting and violence had spread to the Brixton area of London where she lives.

The 30-year-old said she had to plead with a taxi driver to take her home after she arrived at Victoria Station in central London.

She said: “The taxi driver said he didn’t want to take me. He said Brixton was like a war zone. I pleaded with him to take me home. He did, but he said if it got too dangerous he would stop.”

Miss Hazlewood said she drove along some back streets to get to her flat not far from Brixton town centre.

She said: “He dropped me off on my street and there were a lot of youths in the road. I waited in the taxi before I got out.

“It was terrifying as I had to get out of the car. I got home at 2am. I could hear shouting at the end of the road and there were helicopters up.”

Miss Hazlewood, who has lived in London for seven years, said she had yet to venture into Brixton High Street as it is still cordoned off.

n Violence spreads – Page 5