Search for 145 Midlands riots suspects

Police are still searching for 145 suspected rioters today – a year after chaos hit the streets of the West Midlands.

On the first anniversary of the violence and looting that rocked the region, officers have revealed many have yet to be brought to justice for their part in the summer riots.

• Click on the image to the right to see the faces of 12 of the suspects still being sought by police

• Click here to see all 145 suspects on the West Midlands Police website

So far, 347 people have been prosecuted. Those jailed are serving a combined sentence of almost 365 years.

Today, the Express & Star begins a week-long series of coverage looking at a range of aspects surrounding the riots. Police, councillors, campaigners, traders and residents have had their say about the widespread looting and vandalism.

Images of people still being sought by police for causing trouble in Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Birmingham were today released. They include the faces of nine suspected thugs – eight men and one woman – wanted over the disorder in Wolverhampton.

It was in the city centre that thugs went toe-to-toe with police, arming themselves with sticks and hurling bottles and bricks towards officers and shops.

The violence caused untold damage and destruction, with shops having to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on repairs and replacement stock.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Forsyth of West Midlands Police, today urged Express & Star readers to name and shame rioters.

"If the people we are yet to find are sat there thinking they've got away with this, then they haven't. We will come for them," he vowed.

"If they want to take the opportunity to not live in fear, always looking over their shoulder wondering if the next door knock is us, then they should hand themselves in.

"But rest assured, we have their photographs, we will find out who they are and we will come for them."

By Shaun Jepson