Armed Officers Misplace Firearms Bag Near London Mayor’s Residence
Armed police officers tasked with protecting London Mayor Sadiq Khan mistakenly left a bag containing firearms and a Taser outside his home in south London. This alarming security breach has triggered a formal investigation and the temporary suspension of five frontline officers involved.
Contents of the Abandoned Bag
The misplaced bag reportedly contained a Heckler & Koch submachine gun, a Glock pistol, a Taser, and ammunition. The Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards swiftly launched a review to determine the circumstances surrounding this grave incident.
Rapid Police Response and Investigation
The incident occurred around 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday when a member of the public discovered the bag on a street curb in south London and alerted authorities. Police responded within seven minutes, safely retrieving the firearms and Taser from the scene.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police confirmed: “A member of the public called police after finding a bag containing Met-issued firearms and a Taser on a street in south London. Within seven minutes of the call to police, officers arrived at the scene and safely recovered the items. At this stage it is believed the bag was misplaced by on-duty officers a short time before the member of the public located it.”
Eyewitness Account and Official Reactions
Local resident Jordan Griffiths told The Sun that his pregnant partner found the bag near the kerb, saying, “I could not believe my eyes. There was a handgun in the front pocket and a submachine gun in the main part of the bag.” Griffiths immediately contacted the police, who arrived promptly to recover the bag.
He added, “When they arrived they were really shocked. I was told they had been left there by one of Sadiq Khan’s security officers, which made sense as he lives here.”
A spokesperson for the mayor emphasized the severity of the situation: “This is a very serious incident, which has been referred to the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards. The Met must now take all steps to ensure an incident like this never occurs again.”
