Susanna Reid makes passionate plea after Sarah Everard vigil saying ‘women came to pay respects & were shoved by police’

SUSANNA Reid today made a passionate speech about women's safety after the vigil for Sarah Everard.

The host - who is presenting Good Morning Britain alongside Ben Shephard after Piers Morgan's shock resignation last week - spoke out before an interview this morning with Policing Minister Kit Malthouse.

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She tackled "shocking" scenes at Clapham Common which saw women pinned to the ground and handcuffed - and pleaded for answers on how things had gone so badly wrong.

Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick is facing growing calls to resign over the chaos - although she's reportedly been backed by Boris Johnson to stay in her job.

"This was supposed to be a peaceful vigil for Sarah," Susanna said.

It comes as:

• Sarah Everard's body was 'found in a builder's bag in woods' in Kent 
• Met Police chief Cressida Dick faces calls to quit after officers stormed a vigil for Sarah
• Woman arrested at the vigil slams 'disgraceful' police 
• Home Secretary Priti Patel demands 'full report' over 'upsetting' arrests
• Wayne Couzens, 48, appeared in court accused of her murder and kidnap
• Boris Johnson says Sarah's death must 'unite us in determination'

"That's the absolutely tragic case of a woman who was simply walking home a week ago.

"Women gathered - more than 1,000 of them - to just pay respects, lay flowers and make a point about the fact they don't feel safe. 

"The Duchess of Cambridge went a bit earlier in the day and laid daffodils. A spokesperson says she felt for what had happened and remembered what it was like when she was in London before she got married.

"She was an important presence at the vigil.

"But something happened later on which means police are now under fire for a very heavy-handed response."

She said women who had "turned up to pay respects to a woman who is dead" were "shoved out of the way by police".

"This is not the image we wanted," Susanna said.

"I think women are unsettled, angry and upset.

"This is at a time when rape prosecutions are at a record low, kerb crawling of schoolgirls is still not illegal, a woman is killed every three days, and the new crime bill which comes before Parliament would give a longer sentence in prison for defacing a statue than the starting point for rape.

"There is an issue that needs to be dealt with."

Earlier on in the show, vigil organiser Anna Birley told presenter Charlotte Hawkins: "It's incredibly disappointing."

She said cops had cancelled a planned vigil, which would have had Covid marshals and first aiders on site, as well as a PA system to avoid crowding - and women were instead "put at risk".

And Susanna and Ben later spoke to Mr Malthouse - who said both he and Home Secretary Priti Patel are backing Dame Cressida.

Susanna tackled him on the protest - and said: "This is a serious problem for the Met."

"I totally recognise the footage from Saturday was alarming and distressing, and it's very sad that an event for people to come and commemorate this extraordinary person who was subject to horrific crime ended that way," he replied.

But he argued: "We've put police in a challenging position for them. We've asked them to do something they've never done before - to stand between us and virus."

And he said cops would have attended to stand with mourners if they could have done.

"Lots of Met police officers would have been there," he said.

"This crime is devastating for them in terms of its implications."

Asked if Dame Cressida has the "full confidence of the Home Secretary", he replied: "She does, yes, and mine."

Mr Johnson will today chair a meeting of the Crime and Justice Taskforce to look at ways to make Britain’s streets more safe. 

Home Secretary Priti Patel is expected to attend the meeting, along with Dame Cressida Dick and Director of Public Prosecutions Max Hill. 

The PM will use the meeting to discuss the Government’s strategy on preventing violence against women, rape prosecutions and the criminal justice system. 

Ahead of the meeting, he said: “Like everyone who saw it I was deeply concerned about the footage from Clapham Common on Saturday night.

“I have 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.”

However, he's now come out in support of Dame Cressida - and told reporters today: "The police do have a very, very difficult job.

"But there's no question that the scenes that we saw were very distressing and so it is right that Tom Winsor, the inspector of constabulary, should do a full report into it.

"I think people have got to have confidence in the police and Tom's going to look at that."

Ms Dick claimed she would have attended the event herself had it been “lawful”, and insisted she was “determined to lead” the Force.

The commissioner was locked in crisis talks with Mr Johnson, Ms Patel and London Mayor Sadiq Khan throughout the weekend.

In a blistering attack, Mr Khan said he was “not satisfied with the explanation” he was given and ordered two separate investigations into the heavy handed tactics.