Yorkshire police officers arrest man who flashed mourners in queue to see Queen lying in state

Jonathan Pritchard
By Jonathan Pritchard
Published 17th Sep 2022, 14:48 BST
Two Yorkshire police officers have been praised after they arrested a man who allegedly flashed mourners in London as they waited to see the Queen lying in state.

Humberside Police said two of its officers have been thanked by the Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Dame Lynne Owens, after the incident.

The pair, named by the force only as DC Connolly and PC Wright, detained a 19-year-man after he allegedly exposed himself and pushed into the mourners from behind as they waited in line at Victoria Tower Gardens in Westminster on Wednesday (Sep 14).

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The duo are currently deployed in London supporting The Met and reacted when they were alerted by a member of the public.

King Charles III meets members of the public in the queue along the South Bank, near to Lambeth Bridge, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday (Photo by Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images)King Charles III meets members of the public in the queue along the South Bank, near to Lambeth Bridge, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday (Photo by Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
King Charles III meets members of the public in the queue along the South Bank, near to Lambeth Bridge, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday (Photo by Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

A statement from Humberside Police said: “When confronted, it is alleged the suspect entered the River Thames in an attempt to evade the officers, before coming out and being arrested by the pair.

“On hearing about the incident Deputy Commissioner Dame Lynne Owens met with the two officers to personally thank them for their fast thinking and decisive action.

“The man was remanded in custody on Friday after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.”

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Humberside Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, Dave Marshall, added: “It is good to hear that our officers are representing the Force well while supporting the Metropolitan Police Service for Her Majesty’s Funeral. To be thanked personally by the Deputy Commissioner in her first week is testament to the officers’ decisive action and effective policing.”