Five Met officers taken off duty after weapons find

Five Met officers taken off duty after weapons find

A bag containing firearms and a Taser was discovered on a London street, prompting the Metropolitan Police to temporarily reassign five officers from their frontline roles. The incident, reported by a member of the public on Tuesday evening, occurred outside the residence of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, according to The Sun.

The police stated that the bag was likely misplaced by officers on duty shortly before it was found. A spokesperson emphasized that the items were recovered swiftly, with officers arriving at the scene within seven minutes of the call. “We are conducting a thorough examination of the situation to address any concerns,” the statement added.

“Upon seeing the bag, I became suspicious and informed my partner,” said Jordan Griffiths, a passerby who spotted the bag on the roadside. After inspecting its contents, he documented the items with photos before alerting authorities. “When the police arrived, they were visibly taken aback and quickly secured the weapons,” he recounted to the newspaper.

The bag reportedly held a sub-machine gun, a pistol, a Taser, and ammunition. Griffiths noted that the items appeared to be Met-issued, and speculated that a security officer for Sir Sadiq Khan might have left them there. A spokesperson for the mayor described the event as significant, stating that the force must “take all necessary steps to prevent such occurrences in the future.”

Earlier in 2017, Sir Sadiq had decided to implement a 24-hour police protection detail, driven by heightened security concerns. This decision followed discussions about the risks to people in his vicinity, though the current incident has reignited scrutiny over the arrangements in place.