Clovis Salmon aka 'Sam The Wheels', Somerleyton 6, 1981

These two stills are from the film Somerleyton 6, documenting the aftermath of the Brixton Riots which took place 10-12 April 1981. The footage was captured by Clovis Salmon (aka ‘Sam The Wheels’), a self-taught filmmaker whose extraordinary footage provides a unique insider account, rarely seen through the lens of a local resident.

In the lead up to the Brixton Riots, racial tensions in the UK had been on the increase due to escalating levels of unemployment, discrimination and social deprivation. In early April 1981, the Metropolitan Police began Operation Swamp 81 in Brixton, making use of the controversial ‘sus’ laws, which allowed the Met – who were exempt from the Race Relations Act – to stop and search anyone they believed was acting suspiciously. Over the course of five days, the police stopped and searched 943 people and made 82 arrests.

During the riots, 280 police officers and 45 members of the public were injured, over a 100 vehicles were burnt out and more than 150 buildings were damaged. An estimated 5,000 people were involved and a total of 2,500 police officers were drafted in to quell the unrest. Armed with just a camera hidden inside his jacket, Salmon captured the fallout.

In Salmon’s own words: "Black and white youths were fighting with the police and petrol bombs were being thrown everywhere. No one on Railton Road felt safe in their beds; my place was evacuated that Friday night when the riots kicked off."

Salmon had been documenting Brixton life for about 20 years prior to the riots and continued to do so for decades after. His work represents a unique archive of postwar Black British life from the viewpoint of the community themselves.