M&S has accused Sadiq Khan of being too soft on criminals after nights of violence and disorder in Clapham. Supermarket executives wrote to the London mayor and Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, to demand action after several hundred youths swarmed shops on the high street and lit fires on Clapham Common on Tuesday, following similar chaotic scenes on Saturday.

Thinus Keeve, M&S retail director, said staff were headbutted and taken to hospital following an ammonia attack last week, while four police officers were assaulted on Tuesday. Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Keeve said the notion that crime was falling in London was “something none of us believes, and very few people working in retail would see”.

He added: “Without a Government seriously cracking down on crime and a Mayor that prioritises effective policing, we are powerless.”

Footage shared on X, captioned “feral youths cause absolute carnage”, showed dozens of teens shouting and shoving inside Marks and Spencer as several officers attempted to make them leave.

Mr Keeve called on Sir Sadiq to give police the resources they need to carry out their jobs, support communities, and work with retailers to target offenders.

Supermarkets have previously called on police for tougher sanctions, but this marks one of the first times a retailer has placed the spotlight and responsibility on the mayor.

Ken Murphy, Tesco’s chief executive, previously said workers “don’t deserve to deal with the anxiety of witnessing aggressive thefts”, while the Co-op has called for a clampdown on organised criminals, which it claimed were behind the mobs.

Sir Sadiq condemned the events and said “the culprits will face the full force of the law”, and police were working with social media companies to try to clamp down on “viral online content which promotes violence and theft”.

Tuesday was part of a trend of so-called ‘link-ups’, where groups arrange and promote gatherings through social media.

Having caught wind of plans for Tuesday, police issued a dispersal order and deployed 100 officers, four of whom were assaulted, and one was taken to the hospital after suffering an arm injury while making an arrest.

Three girls, a 17-year-old and two aged 13, were arrested on Tuesday night on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.

Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond, who leads policing in the area, has urged parents or guardians to take responsibility for their role in prevention.

She said that any young person who thought this was just “a bit of fun” should “carefully consider the consequences” of a criminal record, including future employment opportunities and the ability to travel.

The Met Police said more arrests will be made over the coming days as officers assess CCTV footage and body-worn camera footage.