SAS stand down as armed police return to duty in London after 300 cops handed in guns in protest
THE Army was yesterday stood down from counter-terror policing support in London as gun cops returned to duty.
It followed an extraordinary row in which some regional armed officers refused to fill in.
More than 300 Met officers had handed in their weapons in protest at a colleague being charged with the murder of rapper Chris Kaba.
But The Sun has learned that a plea by the Met to outside forces for armed police assistance under a mutual aid contingency rule was snubbed by many.
Some Authorised Firearms Officers were still refusing to return to work but their role was being filled by a “limited number” of provincial colleagues to provide the capital with adequate cover, assisting with non-terrorism firearms duties.
The Sun yesterday revealed an SAS assault team flew to the capital after the force’s specialist firearms teams were reduced to a skeleton service over the weekend.
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But the Met announced that military help was no longer required.
It followed meetings with Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and a review ordered by Home Secretary Suella Braverman into the legal rights of cops involved in shootings.
The Met said: “On Saturday, the Ministry of Defence agreed to provide the Met with counterterrorism support as a contingency option.
“As of lunchtime on Monday, the number of officers who had returned to armed duties was sufficient for us to no longer require external assistance to meet our counterterrorism responsibilities.
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“We are grateful to the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces personnel involved for their support. A limited number of armed officers from other UK police forces continue to support non-counterterrorism armed policing.
“We will keep the need for this support under review. Met officers still make up the vast majority of armed resources deployed across London.’’
The Met was left with just one of its seven teams of Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers after gun cops began walking out.
Anger swept through the ranks after an officer was charged last Wednesday with Mr Kaba’s murder.
The 24-year-old dad-to-be died from a single shot to the head at the wheel of a car last September in Streatham, South London.
His vehicle had been flagged up on an automatic number plate recognition system.
Prosecution chiefs authorised the charge of murder following an investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct.
PM Rishi Sunak yesterday said armed police need “clarity” about their legal powers as he backed the Home Secretary’s review.
