Greggs delivery driver assaulted

Bakery chain Greggs said one of its stores was destroyed by fire, another looted and a delivery driver assaulted during last night's riots.

A store in Peckham, south London, is thought to have been "pretty much ruined" after a shop next door was razed to the ground, although the company has not yet been allowed on site to assess the damage.

Another store in Enfield, north London, was looted.

Meanwhile, a member of staff was assaulted at an undisclosed location in London as he made a delivery. He is believed to have suffered "a superficial injury" after being punched in the face.

A further 18 branches in London and seven in Birmingham were closed early as the disorder spread and store managers were forced to shut up shops and send staff home to make sure they were safe.

Of the stores to be closed early, a small number had some superficial damage, such as a windows smashed, the company said.

Deliveries to about 50 of the chain's 1,500 branches were disrupted overnight, but the company hopes to be able to restock most of the affected outlets today.

Greggs, which posted its half-year results today, was unable to put a cost on the damage.

Chief executive Ken McMeikan said: "The overall financial impact will be very small. Relative to other retailers, we have had low impact in terms of damage.

"One member of staff was assaulted, which highlights our challenges."

He said his main priority was to ensure the safety of his staff.

Source:PA