Police Told To Intervene "When Appropriate" Amid Soubry Harassment Complaint

8 January 2019, 14:44 | Updated: 8 January 2019, 14:54

One of London's police chiefs tells LBC he would expect officers to intervene "when appropiate" as extra officers are staffed outside the Houses of Parliament.

The Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police Laurence Taylor said that police are "currently assessing" whether calling somebody a "Nazi" a criminal activity, after Tory MP Anna Soubry was called one during live TV interviews.

A group of more than 50 MPs have written to Met Commissioner Cressida Dick expressing "serious concern" after video emerged of a group of protesters followed and shouted at Ms Soubry down the street as she headed to the Houses of Parliament.

The Tory MP was earlier called a "Nazi" by protesters during live TV interviews.

Speaking to LBC's Rachel Venables, DAC Laurence Taylor said: "We absolutely recognise that people want to come out and voice their concerns or their views around Brexit and protest in a sensible fashion.

"If they want to come out and protest that they do so within reasonable boundaries and do not prevent people going about their business."

"We're currently assessing all of the information available to us, we are taking advice as to whether the behaviour yesterday meets the criminal threshold and once that investigation is complete we can then determine the most appropriate police action," he said.

DAC Laurence Taylor also said that he expects officers to be intervening when people are "prevented from going about their daily lives either through intimidation or obstruction" but added that "we have to accept that people have a right to protest".