Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will be 'largest single policing event ever undertaken' by Met Police

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will be 'largest single policing event ever undertaken' by Met Police
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Mark White

By Mark White


Published: 16/09/2022

- 12:04

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 10:39

The security operation around Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday will be the "largest single policing event that has ever been undertaken" by the Metropolitan Police, according to senior commanders

In a security briefing to the media, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said “almost every force in the country” had officers involved in the policing operation around the Capital.

The senior commander said some 20,000 officer shifts were being worked throughout the week leading up the funeral.


He said the policing operation would increase significantly as the funeral approaches, but could not give details of the number of officers likely to be involved.

DAC Cundy said the event was a “truly national policing operation, and difficult to compare to any other event".

He said the event on Monday would be bigger even than the policing response around the 2012 Olympics and last year's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Police have so far made 34 arrests for a variety of offences. None are believed to be protest-related.

DAC Cundy said that the policing response to any spontaneous protests would be “proportionate and balanced” and officers will only take action “when absolutely necessary".

He said police officers will be reminded of the public’s right to protest in a peaceful manner.

As hundreds of world leaders and other VIPs prepare to arrive in London for the funeral, the DAC said the policing response to keep them safe would amount to the “largest global protection operation the Met has ever undertaken".

Specialist officers, including highly trained firearms teams from forces right across the UK, are being deployed to assist with VIP protection.

DAC Cundy said his officers were still having to maintain "core policing responsibilities" across London, in addition to the operation around the funeral.

He said the stabbing of two police officers in central London this morning, although unrelated to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, will prompt a review of policing around the funeral.

He said the male and female officer sustained "significant injuries" and the incident, although not terror-related, was "deeply concerning".

The male officer is understood to have been stabbed three times around the neck area and once in the chest, but is expected to make a full recovery.

The female officer sustained a serious stab wound to her arm.

A man was Tasered and arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and assault on emergency service workers.

Two other police officers were also injured in separate incidents overnight.

In one incident, an officer was injured when a vehicle was apparently driven at him.

Police officers stand guard at the changing of the guard ceremony at the Horse Guards Parade, following the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, in London, Britain September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Tom Nicholson
Police officers in London are braced for an extremely busy Monday
TOM NICHOLSON

Police officers gather outside Buckingham Palace from where the coffin of late Queen Elizabeth II will depart in procession to Westminster Hall in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022.  Vadim Ghirda/Pool via REUTERS
The police presence in the capital is heavy ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral
POOL

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