Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley’s decision to throw away a journalist’s microphone was “petulant and childish”, former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley has told GB News.
Rowley, who joined other officials at No10 for Sir Keir Starmer’s emergency Cobra meeting, appeared frustrated after leaving Downing Street via the Cabinet Office.
After being asked about “two-tier policing”, Rowley was filmed reaching out towards the microphone, grabbing a part of it and throwing it to the ground before leaving without saying a word.
Responding to the clip, Bleksley was curious about whether his actions amounted to criminal damage.
Peter Bleksley slammed Mark Rowley
GB NEWS
He told GB News: “Petulant, childish, and an embarrassing act for Britain’s most senior cop.
“And the big question is, did he commit the offence of criminal damage?
“If he did, then I hope the reporter has lodged a complaint.”
However, Scotland Yard rejected queries about the outburst and instead claimed Rowley was in a rush.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “The Commissioner had a positive and constructive meeting with the Prime Minister and partners across government and policing.
“He was in a hurry to return to New Scotland Yard to take action on the agreed next steps.”
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Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley leaving Downing Street after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee
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Starmer also appeared to side-step questions about Rowley’s actions.
The Prime Minister said: "There's no two-tier policing. There is policing without fear or favour, exactly how it should be and exactly what I would expect and require. That is a non-issue."
The issue of so-called “two-tiered policing”, which was also dismissed by former Home Secretary Priti Patel, is being debated after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage released a stinging statement this morning.
The Clacton MP said: "In the short term, we will quell the riots, but deeper longer-term problems remain. Ever since the soft-policing of the Black Lives Matter protests, the impression of two-tier policing has become widespread.
“The Prime Minister's faltering attempts to address the current crisis have only added to that sense of injustice.
"The majority of our population can see the fracturing of our communities as a result of mass, uncontrolled immigration, whether legal or illegal.
Peter Bleksley questioned whether the act constituted criminal damage
GB News"Yet to attempt to debate this in the public arena leads to immediate howls of condemnation. A population explosion without integration was always going to end badly. I have said this for many years.
"We must have a more honest debate about these vital issues and give people the confidence that there are political solutions that are relevant to them. A recall of Parliament would be an appropriate start to this."
Farage has also not held back in his criticisms of Starmer, claiming that the Prime Minister "hasn't got an earthly clue" about how to deal with the situation.
More than 420 people have been arrested since riots began last week, with unrest witnessed in Middlesbrough and Bolton among other cities.
Hundreds of thugs petrol-bombed a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham yesterday.
Balaclava-cladded rioters also hurled bricks and fire extinguishers at officers who tried to stop them torching the hotel.
Violent rioters also destroyed a children's library in Liverpool and a Citizen's Advice centre in Sunderland.
Mosques across the country have also been targeted during the six-days of unrest.