Category: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Officers are appealing for the public’s help to identify 15 people who took part in a pro-Palestinian convoy that stopped traffic on the A13 and the Limehouse Link Tunnel on Saturday night.

At around 22:15hrs, officers became aware of a convoy of cars displaying Palestinian flags heading into central London.

It is believed the cars had originally set off from a car park in Hancock Road, Tower Hamlets.

Roads policing units, public order teams and the police helicopter were deployed to intercept the convoy.

The cars were held in Exhibition Road, South Kensington and a dispersal order was put in place. All 80 cars were given notices under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act ordering them to disperse and cease their participation in the convoy or face being seized.

One vehicle was ultimately seized, with fixed penalty notices for various road traffic offences issued to 18 drivers. A further nine vehicles were served with prohibition notices after defects were found making them unfit for use.

Subsequent investigations by officers have found that on their way into London, the convoy stopped twice on major roads – the A13 and the Limehouse Link Tunnel – causing not only disruption but danger to other road users.

Officers have examined social media and other available footage to identify those who are believed to have been involved in offences as part of the convoy. Their images are being released to the public.

T/Commander Karen Findlay, who led this weekend’s policing operation, said: “On some previous occasions, convoys of cars have passed through Jewish communities with occupants waving flags and shouting anti-Semitic abuse. They understandably caused significant concern, fear and upset.

“As soon as the convoy was spotted, a plan was put in place quickly to ensure the convoy would not reach areas where its presence would inevitably cause alarm and intimidation.

“Our enquiries have not only revealed the extent of their dangerous antics on major roads, they’ve also established the group had plans to move on from Exhibition Road to the Israeli Embassy off Kensington High Street.

“Our intervention on Saturday night was effective in stopping this convoy in its tracks, but now we need to identify those we suspect of being involved in offences earlier on their route.

“The public have been a great help in recent weeks when similar appeals have been made and I have no doubt they’ll continue to do the same.”

Anyone who can assist with identifying those in the images shared today should call 101, providing the reference 4237915/23 and the unique number in the bottom corner of the images being released.

Information can also be given to the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Police have charged a second man with the murder of 16-year-old Taye Faik in Edmonton.

[F] Josiah James Semper, 18 (31.03.2005) of Cromie Close, N13 was charged on Friday, 17 November.

He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 21 November.

Another man was previously charged in relation to this matter.

[E] Bernard Carroll, 19 (26.12.03), of Church Street, N9, was arrested on Monday, 6 November and later charged.

He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday, 2 February.

Taye’s family have been informed. Our specially trained officers are supporting them.

A 16-year-old girl [A] who was arrested on suspicion of murder has been released on bail.

Three other people – [B] a 20-year-old man, [C] a 22-year-old woman and [D] a 22-year-old woman – have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. All have been bailed.

Police were called at 23:27hrs on Sunday, 1 October, to a stabbing in Kendal Gardens, N18. Officers attended along with ambulance colleagues.

Tragically, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, 16-year-old Taye, who was from the area, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination on Wednesday, 4 October established the cause of death as sharp force trauma to the chest.

Detective Inspector Ben Dalloway of the Met’s Specialist Crime North, said: “I’d like to thank the members of the public who have come forward to speak to us so far. We remain keen to hear from anyone who has yet to speak to police; the slightest fragment of information could prove crucial.

“Any witnesses who are yet to speak with police and anyone with information that may assist the investigation should submit this via our special online portal: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS23V75-PO1”

Anyone who wishes to provide information but would like to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or contact them online.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Police are releasing the image of a man they want to speak to in connection with an assault on a bus driver.

The incident happened at about 09:20hrs on Saturday, 28 October near Cricklewood Broadway, NW2.

A man boarded a bus with an invalid ticket and, when challenged by the bus driver, he assaulted the driver.

The driver, a man in his mid-30s, did not require any medical treatment.

The suspect is described as aged 30 to 40, 5ft 6ins and of north African appearance.

Any witnesses, or anyone with any information, is asked to call police on 101 or contact via X(Twitter)@METCC Please quote CAD 4696/18NOV

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives are appealing for witnesses following the death of a woman involved in a collision in Lambeth.

Police were called at approximately 17:25hrs on Thursday, 9 November to reports of a motorbike in collision with a pedestrian on Kings Avenue, near to the junction with Atkins road, SW4.

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, the pedestrian died at the scene.

She has been named Seidi Abdulkhadir from Lambeth.

Her family has been informed and is being supported by specialist officers.

The rider of the motorbike stopped at the scene. There have been no arrests.

Detectives from the Roads and Transport Policing Command are investigating.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or captured it on dash cam is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 020 8285 1574 or via 101 quoting reference CAD 5449/09NOV.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

The Met, along with Heathrow Airport Limited and Royal Air Force personnel took part in a planned resilience training exercise overnight on 17 November, testing a multi-agency response to an aircraft hijack scenario.

As part of Exercise Night Star, RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire to escort a passenger aircraft to Heathrow. Once landed Specialist Units from the Met Police met the aircraft and responded to the simulation, with the exercise designed to test the skills of police officers and staff from different units – including hostage negotiators, investigators, and firearms officers who boarded the 160-seater plane.

Officers worked in close conjunction with Heathrow colleagues, NATS and the RAF’s National Air and Space Operations Centre to co-ordinate both the planning of the exercise and the response.

Chief Superintendent Ian Howells, who leads the Met’s Aviation Policing Command, said: “All year round, the Met arranges and takes part in exercises to put the specialist training of officers to the test, in a range of different scenarios.

“Exercises such as this allow us to ensure that, with our partners, we are well-prepared to respond to all types of emergencies – at our airports, or elsewhere in the Capital. This gives our officers and staff vital experience, and also means that we can continually refine and improve upon our plans which help to keep the public safe.”

The exercise was not carried out in response to any specific threat or intelligence, and forms part of a regular training programme designed to test procedures and enhance collaboration between the agencies involved. This exercise follows a major live-play exercise held at a disused terminal building at Heathrow in December 2022.

Heathrow’s Director of Operations, Dale Reeson said: “Simulating lifelike scenarios at the airport and running regular resilience training is an essential part of our preparedness planning. We worked in close collaboration with the Met Police and RAF as part of last night’s scenario, and the learnings we’ll take from the joint exercise will only help to further strengthen our crisis response capabilities.”

Royal Air Force Typhoons are on permanent standby to respond to any potential threat in or near UK airspace. They are regularly called upon to rapidly react to belligerent, unknown or non-communicating aircraft and frequently participate in planned training exercises.

Wing Commander Wilkinson coordinated the RAF element from the passenger aircraft. He said: “Exercise Night Star has provided the rare opportunity for a fully joint and multi-agency end to end assurance of the UK’s Air Defence and Counter Terrorism response. Each participating unit has used the exercise to hone their skills and improve their procedures to continue to ensure aviation safety.”

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Officers investigating hate crime and terrorism offences linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas have made a number of arrests.

A 37-year-old man was arrested at an address in west London on Friday, 17 November following an investigation into Hamas-related online posts.

He was arrested on suspicion of encouraging terrorism (Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006), and showing support for a proscribed organisation (Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000).

This follows a report made to police in late October about posts on social media which appeared to be supportive of Hamas and the attacks in Israel on 7 October.

An investigation was launched by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command after the content was assessed by the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU).

The arrested man was taken into custody at a south London police station from where he was later bailed.

Detective Chief Superintendent Gareth Rees, Head of Operations in the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We continue to make arrests as part of our ongoing investigations into real-world and online offending linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“We are clear that where we identify anyone involved with or committing potential terrorism offences, then they will be investigated, and we will take the necessary action.”

Across the Met, police officers in communities are working not only to provide visible reassurance but to investigate allegations of hate crime and related offences.

In recent days, this activity has led to a number of arrests.

– In the early hours of Friday, 17 November, local officers were on patrol in Brixton Hill, Lambeth when they saw a 21-year-old man spraying pro-Palestinian graffiti on the shutters of a shop.

He was arrested following a foot chase. Following a search he was further arrested for possession of cannabis and theft by finding.

He was taken to custody and later bailed.

– A 22-year-old man has been bailed on suspicion of making threats to kill following an incident in Haringey.

On Wednesday, 15 November at around 18:08hrs police received reports of a man spitting and shouting anti-Semitic slurs at Jewish members of the public in a shop on High Road, Stamford Hill.

He is alleged to have made threats to kill those present while expressing support for the Palestinian cause.

Officers responded and the man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and committing a racially aggravated Public Order Act offence.

When the man was in police custody, he was further arrested for racist and homophobic remarks made towards an officer.

He has since been bailed pending further enquiries.

– A man has been charged following an incident in custody where he is allegedly racially abused police detention officers.

Louis Lillington, 49 (13.08.74) of Ballard Lane, Finchley was charged on Tuesday, 14 November with a racially aggravated Public Order Act offence in relation to allegations he shouted Islamophobic and other racist abuse at the detention officers on duty while he was being held in custody in Colindale. He was also charged with causing actual bodily harm (ABH) and criminal damage.

He was remanded in custody and appeared at North West London Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 14 November where he was bailed.

He will next appear at the same court on Tuesday, 5 December.

– On Friday, 17 November a 31-year-old woman was interviewed under caution by officers from the Met’s Public Order Crime Team as part of an investigation into a placard carried at a protest.

Officers were on duty in Whitehall on Saturday, 4 November when their attention was drawn to a woman who was carrying a placard which included language connected to Nazism.

She was stopped and her details were taken and confirmed. The placard was seized and she was interviewed, on Friday, as part of the ongoing investigation.

Since the terrorist attacks of 7 October, officers have made 386 arrests for related offences.

253 of these have been during protests or other public gatherings, 125 have been in communities and were mostly related to hate crime and eight were as part of ongoing counter terrorism investigations.

Officers continue to appeal for the public’s help to identify a number of outstanding suspects. Details of the latest round of appeals can be found online with others regularly shared on X/Twitter.

If you have any information that can help officers, please call 101 or, to remain anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A fast-time response by officers to reports of gunshots has led to a guilty plea at court.

On Tuesday, 17 October, police responded to a firearm discharge in Hendon and carried out a search of the local area. A short time later they arrested 46-year-old Faruk Ismail at a nearby address in connection with the incident and took him into custody.

Detective Inspector Marcus Jones, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: “The response by officers – who attended reports of a shooting, without knowing what they might face – resulted in Ismail being detained as quickly as possible.

“This effort, and the subsequent investigation by my team, left him with no other choice but to plead guilty.

“We know that this incident caused a lot of concern in the local area and I hope that this swift conviction will reassure the community, as well as highlighting how seriously we take these matters.”

Faruk Ismail, 46 (13.03.77) of Brent Street, NW4 pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court on Thursday, 16 November to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

He will appear in custody for sentencing on 17 January 2024.

An investigation was launched after police were called to Brent Street, NW4, at about 21:10hrs on Tuesday, 17 October to reports of a firearm being discharged. There were no reported injuries.

Ismail was located at an address on the same road. Inside, officers also found an imitation firearm.