Metropolitan Police apologise for officers' selfie at murder scene

The Metropolitan Police have apologised after two officers tweeted a selfie from the scene of a murder in east London.

Uniformed officers from Newham’s Forest Gate North team posted the image from the Stratford Centre shopping complex on Thursday, the morning after a young man had been stabbed to death.

The pair “will be spoken to”, the force said in a statement.

A spokesman said: “We apologise for any offence caused by the ‘selfie’ picture that was posted from the scene of a serious crime this morning.

“The officers showed a lack of judgement and sensitivity in posting this and they will be spoken to and reminded of how to use social media responsibly.

“The tweet has now been removed.”

Local neighbourhood policing teams ordinarily use their Twitter accounts to provide updates on foot patrols, drop-in sessions for residents and appeals for information.

No arrests have been made after the man, in his early twenties, was found with stab wounds outside the shopping centre at around 9.30pm on Tuesday, the Met said.

He died an hour later.

The Met’s spokesman added: “His next of kin have now been informed. Formal identification awaits and a post mortem examination will be held in due course.

“At this early stage, it is believed that the victim and a friend were involved in an altercation with a group of young males before he was stabbed.”

Last week, it was revealed that London’s Air Ambulance was now being called to more stabbings and shootings than road accidents for the first time in its history.

“It is not unusual now for our teams to perform open chest surgery for stab wounds twice in a single day. This would have been unheard of a few years back,” lead clinician Dr Gareth Grier said last Thursday.

Anyone with information about the Stratford killing should call 020 8721 4005 and quote CAD 7391/20 March, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.