Boris Johnson has pledged to plough a share of £20million into regenerating Tottenham in the wake of the riots.

 The London Enterprise Fund will be split with Croydon after the London Mayor identified the two town centres as the worst-hit by the violence last week.

Shops damaged by looters are set to be awarded cash to get them back on their feet, while grants will also be handed out to help new businesses and apprenticeship programmes to boost Tottenham’s dire employment levels.

Mr Johnson unveiled the money, which is on top of the Mayor’s £50million regeneration fund for London, at the Victoria pub in Scotland Green, Tottenham, yesterday with communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles.

He said: “This whole thing [the riots] has been a shock, a wake-up call to London, but it is also an opportunity to deal with the underlining causes that led to so many young people turning criminal.

“It’s not always about just money – it’s about opportunity and ambition and creating a real work ethic.”

The regeneration scheme, which could also include investment in public transport, is set to be put in place as quickly as possible but it is not yet known how much of the £20million will be dedicated to Tottenham alone.

City Hall bosses will launch a series of talks with Haringey Council, residents and traders to decide how best to spend the money.

Mr Pickles said: “I have been moved by the destruction but I have been moved more by the determination I’ve seen by the people of Tottenham to recover and move on.

“But we’re looking beyond the recovery, beyond getting things back to normal. We’re planning to improve the community.”