Chrissie Hynde criticises Met Police after 'aggressive' stop and search of black athletes

Chrissie Hynde has branded the Metropolitan Police “out of touch” in response to a video of two athletes being stopped and searched.

In the clip, which was widely shared online, Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams and her partner, Portuguese 400m runner Ricardo dos Santos, were dragged from their car and handcuffed in front of their three-month-old son.

On Monday (6 July), the Met referred itself to the police watchdog over the actions of its officers towards Williams and dos Santos, who are both trained by former Olympic champion Linford Christie.

The Pretenders singer Hynde, who lives in Maida Vale where the search took place, wrote a letter to The Guardian stating that she’d seen the event occur, and condemned the officers for their “disturbing and aggressive” behaviour.

“The incident was disturbing and aggressive, and the police van remained parked there for over an hour,” Hynde wrote. “The couple were innocent of whatever charges they were suspected of and were eventually let go.”

Discussing gang violence in the area, she continued: “For years there has been no protection at all on the streets and now hordes of police are pulling over innocent citizens and causing real distress for no reason.

“Can the police get their house in order and start patrolling the gangs, and leave parents to do their shopping?”

Following the incident, Williams accused the Met of racial profiling, telling LBC that she believes she and her husband were stopped because the car is all-black and her partner is a black man.