The Metropolitan Police have issued a statement (below) following a letter that was received by Commissioner Cressida Dick citing the concerns of 50 MPs over the current security provisions in place around the Houses of Parliament.
Conservative MP Anna Soubry was recently surrounded by a group of protesters who were filmed shouting various obscenities at the pro-Brexit MP as she made her way to the Houses of Parliament.
The video footage of the incident (see below) has been shared on social media and viewed nearly 2 million times.
Ms Soubry had asked why police officers, who were stationed over the road from where she was accosted by the protestors, did not intervene.
However, police officers who are posted in-and-around areas which pose such a high-security risk often have to remain at their ‘static’ location in order to maintain a tight security perimeter.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor for Met Operations said:
“Police continue to assess if any crimes have been committed following a third party report of a public order offence on Monday, 7 January, in the area of College Green, SW1.
“If a crime has been committed the matter will be fully investigated.
“There has been no arrest at this stage.
“An ongoing policing operation at the Parliamentary estate around Brexit continues and we have an appropriate policing plan in place.
“Our role is to facilitate peaceful protest and balance the needs and rights of all those present, including protestors, MPs and members of the public.
“We will deal robustly with incidents of harassment and abuse against anyone where that harassment or abuse constitutes a criminal offence.
“Officers in the area have been briefed to intervene appropriately where they hear or see breaches of the law.”
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