Police thank London for unity and ‘community spirit’

Sir Mark said he was “really pleased” with how the “massive” policing operation went.

“The show of force from the police and frankly the show of unity from communities together defeated the challenges that we’ve seen,” he said.

“The fears of extreme right disorder were abated – a successful operation thanks to communities and police.”

In relation to the disorder seen last week in Whitehall, the commissioner said police has carried out dawn on Thursday to catch those responsible.

“These are criminals, they’re thugs, they’re not patriots,” he said.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said police had been “ready to protect our communities from hateful, divisive and violent behaviour”.

Although events were largely peaceful, 15 arrests were made across the city.

He said: “We used a range of powers as part of our policing operation in order to keep people safe.

“This included the use of Section 60 and 60AA powers across various locations, giving officers extra powers to stop and search people and request the removal of face coverings.

“As a result, officers seized a number of weapons.”

He added: “I want to thank our communities for coming together across the capital and for showing community spirit this evening.

“I would also like to thank the committed officers who have been working hard to police London today, serving their communities and keeping people safe.”