Met Police chief grabs journalist’s microphone after Cobra meeting

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has been filmed grabbing the microphone out of a journalist’s hands and throwing it to the ground as he left an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday morning.

It came after the Sky News reporter asked Sir Mark if he was “going to end two-tier policing” – a reference to concerns raised by some that right-wing and left-wing protests are treated differently.

The Met Police chief reached out towards the microphone, grabbing a part of it and throwing it to the ground before leaving without saying a word.

A Met Police spokesperson 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.”

Sir Mark said on Monday evening: “This morning I was part of a positive and constructive Cobra meeting with the Prime Minister about our collective response to hateful behaviour and violent disorder across the country.

“There’s been a story running all day about my exit from the meeting. This is a distraction from the critical events we are dealing with.

“It was agreed the Prime Minister would provide an update afterwards and it was not my place to speak publicly. 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.”

The Cobra meeting – which brought together ministers and police chiefs – was held at the Cabinet Office in Westminster after a sixth day of disorder on Sunday saw rioters clash with police and storm hotels housing asylum seekers.

Its purpose was to allow the Government to set out a response to the violent unrest which has broken out across the country following the Southport stabbings last Monday.