Met hunt two men impersonating police officers to get entry into Barking flat

The Met are looking for two men who posed as police officers wielding batons to gain entry into a woman’s home.

In viral footage the woman recorded the men as they fled her residential block in The Shaftesburys, Barking when she asked for their IDs 7pm on Tuesday.

The victim reported the pair were dressed in crude uniform including caps, harnesses and ‘asps’ (batons) and said they were there to search the property.

She allowed them entry before she became suspicious and asked to see their identification, which they could not produce.

The two men in forensic gloves talk into fake walkie talkies in a desperate bid to get the woman to believe they were real police officers calling for back up.

One of the fake officers says the woman is “selling drugs, selling cannabis” as he flees down the stairs after being chased from the lift.

The sheepish pair try to hide their faces under their mock police caps.

The resident accused them of trying to steal her phone as she kicked them out of the tower block in the direction of Abbey Road.

Real police officers attended and conducted an area search but the pair could not be located.

The Met said it is not believed that anything was stolen from the address and there were no reports of any physical injuries.

The police issued advice to anyone concerned about the authenticity of police.

Met guidance on checking the identity of a police officer

Unfortunately, there have been occasions when fraudsters have posed as police officers, both in person and on the phone, to trick people into giving them personal information and defraud them of money.

If one of our officers contacts you in person, they’ll show you their police warrant card. This is proof of their identity and authority.

Remember if you’re unsure about whether the person you’re dealing with is a genuine police officer – stop – and call us on 101 to check their identity.

In an emergency always call 999.

It comes in the wake of Sarah Everard murder where the Met come under fire for suggesting women should flag down a bus if they have concerns when stopped by an officer.

Government ministers and Scotland Yard were accused of having a tone-deaf response to violence against women and girls after a string of suggestions over what action the public should take if they fear an officer is not acting legitimately.

Other advice – including shouting to a passer-by, running to a house, knocking on a door, or calling 999 – was also met with heavy criticism.

The force also said people stopped by an officer can ask to hear or speak to their radio operator and should ask questions about the whereabouts of colleagues; where they have come from, why there are there and exactly why they are stopping or talking to them.

It pledged to no longer deploy plain clothes officers on their own, after the Old Bailey heard PC Wayne Couzens, who was off-duty and not in uniform, used lockdown rules and showed his warrant card to falsely arrest Ms Everard during the abduction.

Police would like to speak to the two men pictured and ask anyone who has information that could help to call 101 ref CAD 6640/12 Oct.

Information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.

Read More

Police arrest teenager over murder of Afghan refugee Hazrat Wali

Hazrat Wali: Canal search after teenage Afghan refugee stabbed to death

Reading terror attacker loses bid to bring appeal against sentence