Boris Johnson 'deeply concerned' by footage of police at Sarah Everard vigil - what will happen now?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he was “deeply concerned” by video footage of police officers detaining women at the vigil of Sarah Everard (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images)Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he was “deeply concerned” by video footage of police officers detaining women at the vigil of Sarah Everard (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he was “deeply concerned” by video footage of police officers detaining women at the vigil of Sarah Everard (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he was “deeply concerned” by video footage of police officers detaining women at the vigil of Sarah Everard on Saturday (13 March).

Police officers handcuffed women and removed them from Clapham Common, where crowds had gathered to remember 33-year-old Ms Everard.

However, the Metropolitan Police has now faced criticism in regards to how they handled the vigil, with calls being made for Commissioner Cressida Dick to resign.

The Prime Minister said he has “spoken with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner who has committed to reviewing how this was handled, and the Home Secretary has also commissioned HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to conduct a lessons learned review into the policing of the event.”

Commissioner Dick has resisted calls to quit over what happened on Saturday evening, and said that what happened to Ms Everard made her “more determined, not less” to lead the organisation. She also welcomed Home Secretary Priti Patel’s request for an independent investigation into the events over the weekend.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has also said he would be asking the Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Independent Office for Police Conduct to look into the events.

What will happen now?

The Prime Minister is expected to chair a meeting of the Government’s Crime and Justice Taskforce with Commissioner Dick on Monday (15 March).

Mr Johnson said he will “chair a meeting of the Government’s Crime and Justice Taskforce to look at what further action we need to take to protect women and ensure our streets are safe.

“The death of Sarah Everard must unite us in determination to drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to protect and defend them.”

The Home Secretary will be in attendance at the meet, as well as Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and director of public prosecutions Max Hill.

However, shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has criticised the Government’s response to Saturday’s events, disapproving of the holding of “yet more meetings and another consultation” at a moment when the country is “demanding action to tackle violence against women and girls”.