Valpo man hopes to calm London tourists during riots

VALPARAISO | A Valparaiso man is keeping a close eye on the London riots as he feeds crucial information to people traveling to the United Kingdom.

Jonathan Thomas, co-founder of Anglotopia.net, usually posts information about tours, attractions and tips for getting around Great Britain on his website.

"Normally my website would ignore bad news," Thomas said.

But the site devoted to all things England -- especially traveling there -- has posted stories about the recent riots along with information American travelers already in Great Britain will find helpful -- like how to call police and how to find the American embassy.

Thomas said although news reports say the riots were sparked by a police shooting, he believes the economic climate there is fueling the violence.

"Now it's just turned into anarchy," he said. "The bad elements of society are going on a rampage just because they can."

Thomas said a distrust of the police in some neighborhoods also contributes to problems.

His response is to encourage tourists who are in the London area to stay calm, use common sense and to keep an eye on local news reports.