UK riots: Ex-cop says two-tier policing ‘certainly exists’ and officers ‘walk on eggshells’

Speaking on GB News, Hurley was giving his take on the riots that have plagued Britain in recent weeks.

He told Camilla Tominey: “The statements are that it doesn’t exist but certainly in my 30-odd years in policing, I will say that when dealing with certain minority groups, police officers do walk on eggshells and back off.

“At an operational level, officers get on with the job such as they see it in front of them.

“They also do so knowing that if they are caught on video they could be seen out of context and could be thrown under the bus.

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“Of course there is no official policy on it, but for many years it has been one of be caution.”

The police have faced claims of two-tier policing after a heavy-handed response to chaos on the streets of Britain in the wake of the killings of three girls in Southport.

Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley has hit out at the claims, branding them “absolute nonsense”.

The Government has also insisted there is no “two-tier system”, which suggests groups on the right are dealt with more harshly than those on the left in Britain.

Responding to allegations that rioters have been dealt with more severely than other recent unrest, Rowley said: “It’s complete nonsense.

“We have commentators from either end of the political spectrum who like to throw accusations of bias at the police because we stand in the middle, we operate independently under the law without fear or favour.

“And if you’ve got crazy views over there, you don’t like it, and if you’ve got crazy views over there, you don’t like it. We will continue to do that.

“The serious voices who echo those are of more concern to me, because the risk is they legitimise it, and they legitimise the violence that the officers I’m sending on mutual aid today will face on the streets.

“They are putting them at risk by suggesting that any of those officers are going out with any intent other than to operate without fear or favour in protecting communities.”