Suella Braverman has ordered police to “hunt down and lock up” violent thugs behind a shop looting campaign to avoid US “lawlessness” coming to UK streets.

The Home Secretary said police would have her “full backing to do whatever necessary” to maintain order as she demanded a “full incident report” into the social media-fuelled campaign to “rob JD Sports” which brought violence to Britain’s busiest shopping street.

Two suspected ringleaders behind the chaos were arrested on Wednesday night after officers wielding batons clashed with dozens of youths on Oxford Street in central London.

Terrified shoppers were locked inside stores as staff pulled their shutters down when groups of youths gathered in the area on Wednesday following a widely-shared social media post calling on thugs to “rob JD Sports” and other stores.

The post plugging the carnage urged yobs to follow a “dress code” of balaclavas and gloves. “Don’t come if you can’t run,” it said before warning: “Don’t bring any weapons.”

Videos showed Metropolitan Police officers chasing after people, with photos earlier in the day appearing to show one officer being punched in the face by a young man.