Rioters damage the music business

Arctic Monkeys and the English singer-songwriter Charlie Simpson are some of the unintended victims of the riots in the UK.

Last Tuesday, looters gutted the Sony DADC warehouse in Enfield, home to large music stocks and DVDs belonging to the music distributing company Pias Group.

As a result, large independent labels such as Domino, 4AD and Beggars Banquet, as well smaller boutique labels and film companies, could be affected when it comes to stocking new and popular titles.

One of the first records to be hit is the seven-inch version of the new Arctic Monkeys single, The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, which is now only available from the band's website.

The planned release of Simpson's debut album, Young Pilgrim, will be delayed indefinitely, as the first batch of 30,000 units were destroyed in the blaze.

Alex Kapranos, the frontman of the Domino-signed Franz Ferdinand, tweeted: "Thoughts go out to all the labels who have lost their stock in Pias fire."

Other musicians tweeting their distress include the poet Scroobius Pip, who described the riots as "Britain punching itself in the face. Repeatedly". The Pias Group released a statement on its website confirming the warehouse fire.

"PIAS is working closely with Sony DADC who are implementing their emergency plans. PIAS's UK offices in London and all other areas of our business are unaffected," it read.

"More information will be communicated shortly to all our labels and partners."