More than 100 special constables helped flood the town centre with police and clamp down on the first sign of any disorder, the police have said.

Many of the unpaid volunteers, who are asked to spend at least 16 hours a month with the police, balanced numerous 12-hour night shifts with their day jobs.

Anna Chojnacka, store manager at Superdrug, New Malden, did six night shifts in the week after the riots, and was stationed outside McDonalds in Eden Street on Tuesday, August 9.

She said: “Tuesday was the weirdest day. We were all waiting for something to happen, but we did not know when. Definitely something would have happened if we were not there.”

Police said they received huge public support, with a Kingston physiotherapy company offering free treatment to two local officers injured in Croydon.

Bakeries offered trays of biscuits, restaurants and security guards gave cups of coffee, and one man delivered a cake still warm from the oven to Kingston police station.

Lisa-Marie George, a special for 10 months, guarded the Bentall Centre on a night Twitter rumours claimed it was being looted.

She said: “We got a lot of thanks. Members of the public stopped to say we were doing a good job and shook our hands. Even some of the young ones were stopping to say we were doing a good job.”

Grant Lucas, who was off work for a week, did six 12-shifts from Monday to Saturday, said the week brought the whole police force together.

Police even accepted a football challenge from a group of boys on the Cambridge Road estate on Saturday, August 13, where officers dispersed a gang of youths with their faces covered five days earlier.

The 45-minute game saw the boys in blue win a narrow 10-9 victory.

Inspector Andy Blackburn said: "It was great to show the young people on the estate we enjoy the same things they do and engage with them after a week of scenes which have seen groups of youths battling against the police.”