More than 40 people have been arrested after rioting saw police attacked, buildings looted and vehicles set alight in Tottenham, north London.
Twenty-six officers and three others were hurt in the violence which erupted after a protest over the fatal shooting by police of Mark Duggan on Thursday.
Residents surveyed the damage after homes were looted and shops burnt down.
The Metropolitan Police warned over "ill-informed speculation" on social networking sites of further problems.
All injured officers have now left hospital, the force said.
Meanwhile, the family of Mr Duggan said they were "not condoning" the violence that erupted. "Please don't make this about my brother's life, he was a good man," his brother Shaun Hall said.
BBC crime reporter Ben Ando said there were rumours in the community that a teenage girl who was part of the peaceful protest had been in a kind of confrontation with police.
He said: "That appears to be the flashpoint. That was the moment at around about just after eight o'clock when it seemed that elements in the crowd decided to pick on two police cars. They were then set on fire."
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating Thursday's shooting.
On the ground, at the junction with Monument Way, bricks, broken glass and debris litter the roads and pavements as far as the eye can see.
A burnt-out Ford Focus police car sits at one end and the shell of a double-decker bus can just be made out 150 yards up the High Road.
Local residents, some angry, most just frustrated, ask a line of up to 50 officers why they can't pass and get on their way. The road has been completely sealed off. Adeyemi Adeagbo is unable to get to his church - the CAC Outreach - just yards away.nHe says it pains him as Sunday is the only day he gets to worship.
The rioters were fighting for their rights, but should have protested in a "civilised way", he says.
Another resident, who appears from the other side of the cordon, says he has seen a betting shop and post office completely gutted.
"They are shells, it's like the Blitz," he says.
A police officer was also shot in the incident, which happened in what was called a "pre-planned" event, under Operation Trident, which investigates gun crime in the African and Caribbean communities.
Police had stopped a minicab which Mr Duggan had been travelling in.
Met Commander Adrian Hanstock warned people not to believe rumours.
He said: "Throughout the day we have been monitoring social networking sites and I'd like to say right from the outset, we're conscious of some really ill-informed speculation on those sites relating to potential further problems."
On Saturday night, shops and homes were raided and cash machines ripped out in Tottenham. There were also thefts from shops in nearby Wood Green.
London Fire Brigade said it had attended 49 fires in the area.
Some smoking buildings were still being dampened on Sunday, while residents surveyed the damage from behind a police cordon.
During the riot, which erupted at about 20:20 BST, people threw petrol bombs, reducing many buildings and vehicles to charred wrecks.
A double-decker bus, two police cars and a carpet shop were among the vehicles and buildings destroyed.
Crowds of looters smashed shop windows in a retail park near Tottenham Hale tube station.
The front window of Currys electrical store was smashed and the door of Argos was shattered after looters raided the stock room.
Every handset was stolen from a mobile phone store.
Home Secretary Theresa May condemned the violence saying: "Such disregard for public safety and property will not be tolerated and the Metropolitan Police have my full support in restoring order."
Labour MP for the area David Lammy said the community which "was already hurting has had its heart ripped out". He added: "This is an attack on Tottenham, on people, shopkeepers, women, children, now standing homeless."
A Downing Street spokesman called the rioting "utterly unacceptable".
London's deputy mayor Kit Malthouse said: "It's absolutely outrageous to see it on the streets of London. We'll do as much as we can to ensure there's no recurrence tonight."
An 18-year-old man, who did not want to give his name, said: "Police know what they should have done, they should have come to speak to the community themselves. They don't care."
The Reverend Nims Obunge, Pastor at the Freedom's Ark Church, in Tottenham, said: "It is right that this community should have questions they have answered. Until those questions are answered I don't think we can effectively rebuild the community."
Teenagers and adults were said to have turned up in cars to Tottenham's retail park and filled their boots with stolen items, unimpeded by police.
Others arrived on foot and piled shopping trolleys high with looted electronic goods, a local woman, who did not want to be named, said.
Another local resident told the BBC that looting had continued beyond daybreak on Sunday.
Meanwhile, shops including Vision Express, the Body Shop and Boots, in nearby Wood Green's High Street were also raided. Two cars there were also burnt out.
The BBC's Andy Moore said that since riots in 1985, relations between the local community and police had been generally good, but last week's shooting of Mr Duggan raised tensions.
A friend of Mr Duggan, who gave her name as Niki, 53, said those who had joined Saturday's protest, which began with a march from Broadwater Farm area, wanted "justice for the family".
i was watching the live coverage in the early hours of this morning and i have to say i am pretty disgusted that people can act this way. i understand that there are some who are angry over the death of a man but hurting innocent people and causing that much damage and chaos is really not nessecary. Most people there were not there for this man, just to cause trouble...i hope they get what is coming to them.
I think we need to try to deconstruct what is going on here. There are so many issues all under the umbrella of this single event. As an example, were the looters doing it because of some outrage over the police/protests? Or was it simply because the opportunity was there?
Once again, something that was peaceful gets turned into a national shame.
They complain their areas are run down, poverty stricken, and there aren't enough jobs, so what do they do? They torch buildings and loot goods from innocent shop keepers. Yeah great plan that, scare off any potential employers from ever opening up in the area for the next decade thus further exasperating the lack of jobs and poverty issue.
/facepalm
Mindless yobs the lot of them, the police should just tear gas them, no more soft approaches these thugs need to be taught a sterner lesson about how to behave in a civilised society.
Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money.
They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with.
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
We got sent home from work early this afternoon due to a possible riot connected incident up the road. Which so far hasn't escalated, as far as I can find out on the internet.
I'm scared, and also sad for the community.
They complain their areas are run down, poverty stricken, and there aren't enough jobs, so what do they do? They torch buildings and loot goods from innocent shop keepers. Yeah great plan that, scare off any potential employers from ever opening up in the area for the next decade thus further exasperating the lack of jobs and poverty issue.
/facepalm
Mindless yobs the lot of them, the police should just tear gas them, no more soft approaches these thugs need to be taught a sterner lesson about how to behave in a civilised society.
I think by and large those doing this won't actually think of the future impact of their actions on others, the area or even themselves. It's opportunistic.
This actually really makes me feel so angry. People clearly aren't thinking of the consequences. But it makes me so sad, all these people's possessions are being destroyed. For no real reason. Nothing warrants trouble like this. It's just so awful. It makes me want to cry :(
I'm absolutely terrified. Just watching Croydon burn at the moment, it's just getting closer.
People are disgusting. They're ruining peoples' lives, livelihoods, and for what? Absolutely ****ing nothing.
"Be nice. Think happy thoughts. Champion silver linings. Love all things (not just cute things like babies and kittens) & when you do love - love like they do in power ballads (you know like on a cliff with the wind in your hair and your eyes shut, knowing you'll never know love like this). Watch out for dog poo. Smile at people - even grumpy ones. Remember anything is possible & whatever you do always try to look on the bright side."
It's terrifying, actually, particularly being between a number of key places in London now. I'm grateful for twitter - it's kept me up to date with various things.
There are a huge number of underlying tensions going on here, and a lot of negative energy being expressed in one go - but there are also a huge number of people just screwing around, and so - just stupid. argh.