The Metropolitan Police has launched a “major investigation” into the riot in Tottenham which saw attacks on people, fires and looting.

Officers on the inquiry, codenamed Operation Withern, will interview witnessess and review hours of CCTV in a bid to identify rioters.

Forty-eight people arrested during the disorder are being questioned.

The violence erupted on Saturday night and Sunday morning following a protest over the shooting of a local man.

Shops were attacked and looted, 26 police officers and three others hurt and buildings and vehicles were set ablaze.

Police have warned against what they described as “ill-informed speculation” about more riots in other parts of London on Sunday evening.

‘Ill-informed speculation’

Parts of Tottenham are still cordoned off, as what the Met descibed as “a slow and painstaking” examination of the riot scene is conducted by officers and forensic teams.

The inqury, led by Detective Superintendent John Sweeney, is made up of detectives from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, specialist investigators from the Public Order Branch, and police support staff.

Met Commander Adrian Hanstock said: “Anyone who has any information about those responsible for these offences that rocked the heart of the local community please get in touch with us.

“The disorder and violence we saw last night was pure criminality and cannot be justified. We are determined to arrest those responsible.”

And he warned people not to believe rumours.

“Throughout the day we have been monitoring social networking sites and I’d like to say right from the outset, we’re conscious of some really ill-informed speculation on those sites relating to potential further problems.”

He said the force was “actively posting accurate information to correct this”.

Twenty-six officers and three others were hurt in the violence which broke out after a protest over the fatal shooting by police of 29-year-old Mark Duggan on Thursday.

Those arrested remain in custody for offences including violent disorder, burglary and theft.

Meanwhile, the family of Mr Duggan said they were “not condoning” the violence that erupted.

“Please don’t make this about my brother’s life, he was a good man,” his brother Shaun Hall said.

BBC crime reporter Ben Ando said there were rumours in the community that a teenage girl who was part of the peaceful protest had been in a kind of confrontation with police.

Cars and buildings were set alight during the violence

He said: “That appears to be the flashpoint. That was the moment at around about just after eight o’clock when it seemed that elements in the crowd decided to pick on two police cars. They were then set on fire.”

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating Thursday’s shooting.

A police officer was also shot in the incident, which happened in what was called a “pre-planned” event, under Operation Trident, which investigates gun crime in the African and Caribbean communities.

Police had stopped a minicab which Mr Duggan had been travelling in.

On Saturday night, shops and homes were raided and cash machines ripped out in Tottenham. There were also thefts from shops in nearby Wood Green.