1985 Handsworth riots 1500 police officers drafted into the area, about 45 shops looted and burnt, and a trail of damage running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. As well as racial tension, unemployment was seen as a major factor in the riots; by the time of the riots, fewer than 5% of the black population to have left school that summer had found employment. The riots were the first of a series of similar riots across the country during the autumn of 1985, notably the Broadwater Farm riot in London which also resulted in a fatality (the murder of policeman Keith Blakelock).
Broadwater Green Royal Borough of Greenwich. Broadwater Green Broadwater Green is a mixed council/private estate in Thamesmead, London. It was originally only two long roads, but since 1999 has grown into a very large estate. Unlike many council estates, there are no towerblocks in Broadwater Green. It has been commonly referred to as "The Yellow Brick Houses" by local residents in the immediate vicinity. There is a restaurant/public house named "The Princess Alice" at the entrance to the estate. Broadwater Green was built on the Royal Arsenal, just off the shore of the Thames River, and directly opposite of Belmarsh Prison. It