Metropolitan Police defends King’s Coronation policing after solely 5 of 64 folks arrested are charged

The Metropolitan Police has defended officers’ policing of the King’s coronation after it emerged solely a fraction of the 64 individuals who had been arrested have been charged.

The pressure has additionally mentioned greater than half of these arrested won’t face prices or obtain fines – with 18 instructed they might face no additional motion, and an additional 18 knowledgeable there was inadequate proof to offer an affordable prospect of conviction.

Those launched with out cost included six anti-monarchy protesters and three charity volunteers.

The Met previously said it would apologise to these wrongly arrested in the course of the coronation whether it is discovered officers made errors.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist mentioned amongst these going through no additional motion had been folks seen in “possession of glue, allen keys and other paraphernalia”.

The pressure additionally mentioned 21 folks had been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service – 20 who had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to trigger a public nuisance and one on a racially aggravated public order offence.

Five folks have already been charged with offences, one particular person has been issued a penalty discover for dysfunction and one other suspect was despatched to courtroom having been arrested for being wished on a warrant unrelated to the occasion, police added.

Despite a excessive variety of suspects not going through any additional motion, Mr Twist defended officers’ selections – saying their efforts had been “consistent with the Met’s long history both of overseeing significant public events and also policing peaceful protest across London”.

He mentioned: “Arrests don’t at all times result in prices and you will need to keep in mind that the brink for acquiring a cost is larger than that for making an arrest the place an officer want solely have suspicion of an offence.

“For example, three of those whose arrest did not lead to charge were found near the coronation route in the early hours of the day of the event in possession of glue, a banner from a known activist group, allen keys and other paraphernalia that could have been used to commit criminal damage or other disruption.”

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Mr Twist continued: “I am confident the public would recognise why officers chose to make arrests in those circumstances, even though it was ultimately determined that a conviction at court would have been unlikely.

“In the hours earlier than the coronation, we had intelligence that indicated activists had been plotting to focus on the procession.

“We had real concerns that such efforts would not only disrupt an event of enormous national significance, but that they could also compromise the security and safety of participants and the public, including posing a risk of serious injury.

“Officers had been briefed on these issues and had been directed to behave appropriately in gentle of the rising intelligence image, which they did.

“Their efforts were consistent with the Met’s long history both of overseeing significant public events and also policing peaceful protest across London. Every year there are thousands of planned and spontaneous protest events that take place without incident.”

Mr Twist mentioned any suggestion protest was prohibited in the course of the coronation was “not supported by the evidence”.

He mentioned: “We have previously expressed our regret that a number of people who were arrested and released later the same day with no further action taken against them were unable to participate in their planned protest.

“However any suggestion that protest was prohibited on the coronation just isn’t supported by the proof. There was important protest exercise at factors alongside the procession route, notably in Trafalgar Square.

“I am proud of the efforts of all those involved in policing this historic event. It is thanks to their hard work and dedication that it was able to take place safely and without disruption or disorder.”