About 16,000 officers were on duty to tackle any disorder on Tuesday
An increased police presence will remain in London "for as long as needed", Downing Street has said. The number of officers was increased from 6,000 to 16,000 on Tuesday night after widespread rioting on Monday.
In total 770 people have been arrested and 167 charged, with 81 held on a relatively calm Tuesday night.
London Mayor Boris Johnson said the "pretty frail" case for cutting police numbers had been "substantially weakened" following the riots.
'No complacency'
A Downing Street source told the BBC: "There's a will to continue with that level of policing for as long as is needed."
Number 10 said while there was "no complacency", police tactics in London had "clearly worked".
On Tuesday, there were some sporadic incidents in Canning Town and Eltham while in Harlesden 19 people, who were apparently preparing to go looting, were arrested.
The group of men, aged between 18 and 30, were arrested in West Ella Road, Harlesden, after "they were seen standing by two transit vans appearing to be preparing to go looting", police said.
“I have been rightly bashed for being on the west coast of North America when this thing kicked off”
-Boris Johnson Mayor of London
And courts have been sitting through the night to for first appearances of people charged in connection with the riots.
Highbury Magistrates' Court and Camberwell Magistrates' Court both have been sitting since 17:00 BST on Tuesday.
In some parts of London local people took to the streets to protect their neighbourhoods from the looters.
In Southall, west London, Sikh men from the Sri Guru Singh Sabha temple gathered to protect the area.
Groups also gathered in Eltham, south-east London and their was a "reclaim the streets" march in Enfield, north London, which ended in "minor scuffles" with police.
Click to play
Southall Sikhs stand against rioters
Shops and businesses were shut down early in the capital over fears of further violence on Tuesday night.
Speaking to BBC News, the mayor said he was not "remotely complacent" about the relative calm on Tuesday, adding: "I think the police got a grip.
"We are going to keep up the pressure. People worried that last night's deployment was a one-off should not be so worried."
The mayor, who was heckled as he met residents in riot-hit Clapham Junction after returning from holiday on Tuesday, added: "I have been rightly bashed for being on the west coast of North America when this thing kicked off.
"I have to say I came back as soon as was reasonable when it was clear that this was not just a one-off thing."
The Reeves furniture store was destroyed after being set on fire on Monday
A man, 21, remains in police custody on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life over a fire which destroyed the family-run Reeves furniture store in Croydon on Monday.
The charred remains of the building were razed to the ground.
Police also appealed for witnesses after a man, believed to be in his mid 40s or 50s, suffered a serious head wound and is in a critical condition after being attacked in Ealing on Monday night.
Officers believe the victim, whose name has not yet been released, was attacked in Springbridge Road at 22:45 BST after he "remonstrated with a group of teenagers who [were] setting fire to two industrial bins outside the Arcadia Shopping Centre".
Missiles were hurled at paramedics and police as they tried to give first aid to the man, who fell after being assaulted.
Two people were also arrested, and later bailed, over the death of a 26-year-old man who was found with bullet wounds in a car in Warrington Road, Croydon on Monday.
Officers believe the victim was involved in a car chase and shot following an altercation with a group of about nine men.
There was also a stand-off at Feltham Young Offenders Institution, in west London, when some inmates refused to leave the gym, but the Ministry of Justice said the situation was resolved in hours.
BBC News
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