David Blunkett has strongly condemned Bradford rioters and signalled a police crackdown on street disturbances.

The home secretary expressed concerns that the cautious approach of the UK police may have prolonged the violent outbursts and hinted at new measures, such as water cannon, to tackle rioting such as that seen in Bradford.

"I am not keen on upping the ante. I am very keen on the way our police force operates as far as possible at the lowest level to maintain order, but I am keen to examine suggestions in circumstances where people believe they can go on to the streets, threaten others, including the police, and believe they can get away with it," he told the BBC.

Bradford West's Labour MP, Marsha Singh, said that the home secretary had discussed with him the need for greater police powers and hinted at the use of water cannon. "I believe that water cannon would have cleared that road in an hour," he said. Sunday night was largely calm in the Manningham district where Saturday night's violence was concentrated, the riot left 120 police officers injured and a trail of destruction - including the burning down of a Labour club.

Blunkett praised the police and slammed the gangs of Asian and white youths who fought running battles with police during disturbances in which two people were stabbed and cars set on fire.

"I am appalled at the wanton violence and destruction and damage this has done to the well-being of local people, their community and prosperity."

"I commend the police for their bravery and determination in the face of enormous provocation and regret the injuries caused. There is no excuse for mindless violence and reckless destruction," he told Sky News.

Trouble flared after sparked after an Anti Nazi League demonstration against a banned National Front march in Bradford. Despite blame being placed on "outsiders" for the violence, West Yorkshire's assistant chief constable, Greg Wilkinson, told a Sunday press conference that of the 36 people arrested - 13 white and 23 Asian - all but two were from the Bradford area.

Blunkett dismissed claims that the police were "institutionally racist" and argued that community leaders must address the issues, many of which are expected to be dealt with in a forthcoming report by Herman Ouseley.

"Civic leaders will have to address the problems raised by those who have caused damage to their own neighbourhood and by so doing have reduced the chances of the very improvements they wish others to deliver," he said.

The home secretary warned off anti-nazi activists and others from outside the Bradford area not to get involved.

"Please keep out of other people's back yards. With the best will in the world for those who are anti-fascist - this is not a game we are in, this is serious politics," he said.

Blunkett said that local rioters in the Manningham area of the town had to take responsibility for their actions and to stop looking for "scapegoats".

"I don't think that last night's riots and violence and destruction of a community that was putting itself back together has anything to do with institutional racism whatsoever. It is about people who are prepared to resort to violence and self-destruction in a way that can take us absolutely nowhere," he said.

Speaking earlier on GMTV's Sunday Programme, the shadow foreign secretary, Francis Maude joined the chorus of condemnation and denied that the Conservatives had any responsibility for raising racial tensions.

"The burden of blame falls on those who wantonly and deliberately commit violence and commit crimes. I don't think you could level the blame for this against the Conservative party, that would be absurd," he said.

Maude also called for calm and said, "I think there is a real burden on everyone to talk about these issues with sensitivity in a measured and reasoned way."Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, Gurbux Singh, also condemned the violence and rioters.

"We all need to condemn the violence, nothing can justify the appalling things that we have witnessed on our TV screens this morning," he said.

Singh called for unity across the communities in Bradford and a for a "major leadership role" for politicians at a national level.

"In the longer term what we have to think about is how do we rebuild the communities. It's vitally important that people in Westminster, our leaders, make very strong statements about the sort of Britain that we want to create, he said.