Met Police chief Mark Rowley has apologised after he took a journalist's microphone and dropped it on the ground following the Government's Cobra meeting.
A spate of violence in Britain sparked an emergency talks between the Prime Minister, the deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, home secretary Yvette Cooper, senior officials and leading police officers including Metropolitan Police commissioner Rowley.
Following the meeting, Rowley was asked by Sky News reporter, Rob Catherall if he was "going to end two-tier policing", but instead of responding to the question, he removed the microphone and later dropped it.
A spokesperson for the Met said he was "in a hurry" as he tried to reach his car in Whitehall on Monday.
Met Police chief Mark Rowley has apologised after he took a journalist's microphone and dropped it on the ground following the Government's Cobra meetingGettyRowley said: "In an effort to move a microphone out of my path I'm sorry that I knocked it to the floor.
"That was never my intention. We remain focused on the critical and urgent matters at hand."
Footage shows the police chief throwing the mic as he walks past reporters and photographers.
Officers are facing increasing pressure to get to grips with violent riots in the UK as unrest continues.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Riots erupted on Monday in Plymouth - which saw six people arrested - while Birmingham also faced further disruption.
The Metropolitan Police has defended Rowley "for being 'in a hurry" to return to his office "to take action on the agreed next steps".
The Prime Minister has ordered a new "standing army" of specialist police officers in the wake of violent disorder.
A total of 378 arrests have been made since riots broke out last week.
The Metropolitan Police has defended Rowley 'for being 'in a hurry' to return to his office 'to take action on the agreed next steps'
PAIt comes after Nigel Farage claimed the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 had left feelings of "two-tier policing".
However, Starmer's official spokesman said the Prime Minister would not "recognise that characterisation of policing".
The spokesperson said: "The job of the police is to keep everyone safe, to tackle violence and disorder no matter the origination.
"There is no justification at all for the scenes we have seen. There is no justification for any sorts of criminal activity.
"The police will always will always carry out their job without fear or favour."
