Gaming

'Grand Theft Auto' blamed for London riots

Published Monday, Aug 8 2011, 19:29 BST | By Liam Martin | 142 comments

Grand Theft Auto has been identified by a policeman as a possible contributing factor to this past weekend's riots in Tottenham.

A police constable told the London Evening Standard that the youths at the centre of the violence may have been tempted to re-enact scenes from Rockstar's controversial gaming franchise.

"These are bad people who did this. Kids out of control," the unnamed source is quoted as saying.

"When I was young it was all Pac-Man and board games. Now they're playing Grand Theft Auto and want to live it for themselves."

Rockstar games such as Canis Canem Edit, Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto have been at the centre of numerous controversies over the years.

2008 Nintendo DS release Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars sparked controversy by featuring a drug-dealing mini-game.

> Feature: Video Game Controversy