The Riots - An Intelligence Failure?

Police in London are claiming that there was no prior intelligence about last night's disturbances.

If it is true, why are so many local people popping up on the radio saying that they had heard hints of what was to be, some even reporting their information to the police?

If the troubles were organised using social media via mobile devices, where is the SIGINT? GCHQ should have been able to provide some support on this (provided that this was felt to be of high enough importance!)? Perhaps mobile data networks could have been closed down in order to thwart this sort of activity?

As I write this I can hear the helicopters circulating overhead.

See Also:

• http://deadmanchatting.blogspot.com/2011/08/london-disturbances-where-next.html
• http://deadmanchatting.blogspot.com/2011/08/london-riots-8th-aug.html
• http://deadmanchatting.blogspot.com/2011/08/london-riots-8th9th-aug-my-experience.html
• http://deadmanchatting.blogspot.com/2011/08/london-riots-6-7-aug-2011-musings-on.html