Council bosses demand apology after volunteers arrested on Coronation

Council bosses demand apology from police as three safe streets volunteers arrested over fears of a plot to throw rape alarms at Coronation horses are told police will take no further action against them

• Three night volunteers were arrested by Met Police on day of King’s Coronation 

Council bosses have demanded an apology from the Met Police after three safe streets volunteers were arrested over fears of a plot to throw rape alarms at Coronation horses on Saturday.

Two women and a man were arrested in the Soho area at around 2am on Saturday morning – just hours before the procession.

A 37-year-old woman, a 59-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man were taken to a south London police station where they were questioned.

The trio were later released without charge and have since been told officers will take no further action against them.

Three volunteers were arrested in the Soho area just hours before the procession

Concerns were raised at the highest level of Government in April that the stunt could lead to serious injuries or even deaths if spooked horses bolt into the crowds lining the route

Speaking on Saturday, Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: ‘The intelligence we received led us to be extremely worried about the potential risk to public safety.

‘We are aware of and understand there is public concern over these arrests. However, the matter is still under investigation.’

All three have since been released with no further action.

Cllr Aicha Less, deputy leader of Westminster Council, said the local authority had requested an apology from the Met police over the arrest of its three volunteers.

Cllr Less said: ‘We have met with the Metropolitan Police to discuss the arrest of our Night Stars, about which we have been deeply concerned. 

‘We are pleased to confirm that all three of our volunteers, who provide such a valuable service to the community, have been released without charge and will not face any further action.

‘In addition, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Adam Hug, has also written to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police today, setting out the reasons for our concerns about the handling of this matter. 

‘He has also requested an apology is made to the three volunteers.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach after the State Opening of Parliament in 2015

A PC falls off a horse as police try to clear a demonstration on Whitehall, London

‘We continue to offer our Night Stars our full support and are also mindful about the potential impact of this matter on our night safety work, much of which is reliant upon members of the public giving up their free time. 

‘That’s why we will continue to work with the Metropolitan Police to keep the city safe and to learn from this unfortunate incident.’

Yesterday, Chris Philp, the policing minister, outlined the ‘specific intelligence threats’ facing the Metropolitan Police ahead of Saturday’s historic event.

There were ‘multiple well-organised plots’ to disrupt the ‘once-in-a-generation national moment’, Mr Philp told the House of Commons.

He praised the police for their efforts amid a furious row over the arrests of a group of six anti-monarchists – who police have now admitted were not among those planning to disrupt the Coronation – under new public order laws.

Labour MPs fumed at the ‘draconian’ legislation, which officially passed into law just days before the Coronation, that was used to detain the protesters.

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