'Question Time' riots special panel announced

The BBC has confirmed five of the six panel members for Thursday night's Question Time UK riots special episode.

John Prescott, former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, will be joined by Brian Paddick, the former Deputy Assistant Commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police Service. Paddick also combated the 1981 Brixton riots, and is aiming to run for Mayor of London in 2012.

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, will also appear on the special, along with Camila Batmanghelidjh from Kids Company, a group that helps vulnerable children across London. Batmanghelidjh's feature on the riots in yesterday's Independent was a prominent trending topic on Twitter.

Political journalist and editor of The Spectator Fraser Nelson will also be involved. A further sixth member is still to be confirmed.

The one-off programme follows the riots in London over the past week that have since spread to other parts of the UK.

The rioting began in Tottenham over the weekend, before spilling over to Croydon, Clapham Junction, Peckham, Woolwich and other areas of London on Monday. Violence and looting have since been reported in Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Leicester, Manchester and Nottingham.

> London riots debate commissioned by Channel 4