Leona Lewis has spoken of the anguish and fear she experienced during last year's London riots.

The city saw a number of looters and rioters run amok in August as tensions ran high after police shot dead Mark Duggan in Tottenham, who they suspected of being armed.

Lewis has opened up on her experience of the riots, stating that she was at home in Hackney with friends when it all kicked off.

She added that her father wanted to visit her but he saw a car being petrol bombed so he decided to stay put. The 'Bleeding Love' star said:

"I was at home in Hackney when the riots started last year. My two friends had to stay round my house as we didn't know if it would be safe for them to go home. I was worried about what would happen to the people who had their businesses and homes damaged."

Lewis continued: "My parents both live in Hackney too and my dad was supposed to bring a CD round to my house that night. He rang me and said: 'How badly do you want this CD, because I've just seen a Mini (car) get a petrol bomb thrown at it?' I told him to go home straight away...The pictures on the news and in the papers were terrifying and it just kept rolling on. Seeing the pictures of the violence, looting and rioting made you think it was just totally out of control and the police were overwhelmed."

Hackney meanwhile has been transformed into one of the host areas for the London 2012 Olympic Games, whilst it also hosted Radio 1's Hackney Weekend in June.