London’s Metropolitan Police has been accused of failing to protect the public after an asylum seeker housed at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf entered an elderly woman’s home without permission — and was returned to the hotel without arrest.
The incident took place on Aug. 13, when police were called to Marsh Wall at 6:07 p.m. Officers claimed in a statement posted on social media that the man entered the property through an open door while “being followed by a group of men” in the street.
Police claim no intent could be proven, and the man was not arrested.
However, the response was markedly different toward protesters angry about the housing of asylum seekers in the area. Three demonstrators outside the migrant hotel, questioning why the man was not arrested, were themselves detained — including a 22-year-old woman facing multiple charges such as common assault on a security guard, possession of an offensive weapon, and affray. A Section 35 dispersal order was issued in the area, leading to the arrest of a 28-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman for breaching it.
The police statement has triggered a wave of condemnation from commentators and public figures. Firas Modad, a presenter at Lotus Eaters, posted on X: “Wait. An illegal migrant enters a home. Three people get arrested. But not the trespasser?! And the person who objected to his presence gets the book thrown at her?” He called out Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, asking her if she would be demanding any resignations from the police force over the matter.
British barrister and political commentator Steven Barrett said, “Thanks, Evil Bot 3000, for trying. But do you mind telling your masters at the Metropolitan Police that this is both gibberish as law — and really, deeply, disturbing. Be normal people again.”
Rory Geoghegan, the founder of the Public Safety Foundation and a former police officer, wrote: “A world-class police service would recognize that it needs to do more than pump out statements like this. Why are senior officers and comms teams in the UK so afraid of holding proper briefings for the media and public?
People are openly talking about the prospect of civil war and that the country has ‘had enough’ — but those in HQ think the answer is a few lines of text?”
Conservative political commentator Sophie Corcoran said, “So you’re telling me this demonic-looking man, whom we know nothing about, can walk into a woman’s flat and not get arrested. Women are doomed.”
“Met Police confirm that this thing entering your home is NOT a crime. But being angry about it is. This is the UK 2025,” added nationalist activist Tommy Robinson.
The Met Police say they are reviewing body-worn video footage and other evidence, describing the incident as “a complex set of events.”