The destruction and ransacking of shops in London - including Colliers Wood - last summer has given the UK an international reputation of being angry, a charity has claimed.

Wimbledon Civic Theatre Trust, a group which aims to help disadvantaged schoolchildren through creative forms of therapy, has launched the new project.

The Safe project has followed on from a pilot scheme that saw six students taken to the Tate Modern to draw inspiration for an exhibition at Vestry Hall, Mitcham, on Thursday, March 29.

Andrew Alty, Creative Learning Projects Manager for WCTT said: “Knife crime, gun crime and gang culture have all contributed to ‘Angry Britain’ and the recent civil disturbances in many parts of south London, including Merton, have only served to intensify this perception.

"WCTT aims to give young people in the area a safe and creative outlet for their emotions.

"We believe creativity is more powerful than destruction and the SAFE project will help students channel disruptive emotions to let off steam.”

Over 100 arrests have been made after the Tandem Centre and Priory Retail Park in Colliers Wood were looted on August 8, 2011, causing millions of pounds worth of damage.

A report into the summer riots, released by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday, suggested that water cannons could be used if such widespread disorder were to happen again.

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