What do we pay them for? The Met police proved to be thunderflops yesterday when their motto, "Stand By for Inaction" was met in full. The Met has stated that it was focused on the violent disorder (somehow converted from a peaceful protest) and looting (a violent act!) was dismissed as without concern. All because, yet again, we have an unexplained murder, perhaps understood, but perhaps not.
The focus of the looting was at Wood Green about two miles away to the east. Eyewitnesses there around midnight said they saw no police presence, and a passer-by filmed leisurely looting still taking place at about 5.30am – more than nine hours after the original trouble.
Now that the gangs have seen they can get away with this once due to the magnificent inertia of the Met (whose leaders have already resigned for taking tabloids rather than fighting crime), they will riot again. If our bleating pols wish to render this riot unacceptable, find the criminals and get them to the time, properly.
Did the Met preserve public safety? I think not!