A quarter of the people who were arrested for taking part in riots in the U.K. last month had at least 10 prior convictions, according to Ministry of Justice figures released Thursday.
Around three-fourths of those who appeared in court had at least one conviction or warning, the figures also noted. Also, around 90 percent of those brought to court were male.
“It is clear that those who took part in the disorder were much more likely to have a previous conviction than the population as a whole,” the report said.
But even though it appears that repeat offenders were involved in the riots and looting, “there is also evidence of some people being drawn into the criminal justice system for the first time,” it added.
A total of 1,715 people have appeared in front of the court on charges related to the riots. More than 300 have been sentenced thus far.
Riots took place over five days in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and in other places. They were initially started over the police shooting of alleged gangster Mark Duggan, but then quickly spread out of control.
