A police commissioner has dismissed criticism of the force she is charged with overseeing following protestors staging a protest on the roof of the Prime Minister’s constituency home.
North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe said the force’s response to the incident at Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton, on August 3 had been “exceptionally good”.
Mrs Metcalfe made to the comments to the county’s police, fire and crime panel, a watchdog of councillors and experts who scrutinise her performance, after she concluded a review of how North Yorkshire Police dealt with the Greenpeace activists.
It remains unclear how the protestors gained access to the property before scaling the roof of the grade II-listed property at about 8am, as Mr Sunak, his wife and children were on holiday in California.
The campaigners draped his home with an oil-black fabric to protest against the Government’s plans to allow licences to be granted for further development of North Sea oil and gas.
Following the incident, Peter Walker, who was North Yorkshire Police’s deputy chief constable in 2003, said he had been “absolutely astonished” the protesters gained access to the house and called for an investigation.
He said: “It is clearly in my view a major breach of security.”
Appearing before the panel for the first time since the incident, the commissioner was asked to confirm that she had reviewed the police response to the protest, especially in view of “adverse publicity” the force had received as a result of its actions.
Mrs Metcalfe told the panel it was important they understood the Homeland Security Group, which sits at the heart of the UK’s national security system, was responsible for the security arrangements for an MP’s home and that it was “nothing to do with North Yorkshire Police”.
She added North Yorkshire Police’s responsibility was limited to “a response to any incidents that might happen”.
Mrs Metcalfe said: “I felt the response, from the call coming into the force control room, only took eight minutes to get on site, which is exceptionally good for such a rural force, and within eight hours the protestors were down off the roof, three arrests were made…
“I think the Home Office and Homeland Security were very happy with the operation that happened and I can see no fault with it at all.”
Be the first to comment