Greig Watson
Reporter, BBC News Online

The former Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police has said the Metropolitan Police's response to a vigil in memory of Sarah Everard on Saturday shows a "complete institutional misogynism."

The London force has faced severe criticism for the way it broke up a vigil in memory of Ms Everard on Clapham Common on Saturday.

Sue Fish said: "Understanding the context, as well as the law, is so important and I think on this occasion the senior leadership of the Met who were making decisions about how or whether this event should go ahead got it utterly wrong.

"It feels that the proportionate policing plan that the Met was supposed to put in place simply didn't happen."

Image source, Reuters

Commenting on whether there should have been more female officers present, Ms Fish said: "This could have been an area that could have been thought through rather more.

"And I think this just shows the lack of thought, and in some way a complete institutional misogynism, sexism, a sort of complete lack of understanding or insight into the experience of women."

The Met Commissioner Cressida Dick has previously defended policing of the event, saying: "I don't think anybody who was not in the operation can actually pass a detailed comment on the rightness and wrongness... This is fiendishly difficult policing."

Met officer Wayne Couzens will next appear at the Old Bailey on 9 July for a plea hearing.

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Police arrested four people and handed out two fixed penalty notices at the central London demonstration.

BBC Weather

Cloudy with outbreaks of rain to start this morning. It will be cloudy through most of the day, with light, patchy rain this afternoon. Mild, but turning breezy later this afternoon.

Maximum Temperature: 10 to 13°C (50 to 55°F).

Luisa Porritt is to set out her policies as she launches her London mayoral campaign.

Developers have proposed to convert part of Park Road Allotments in Isleworth into housing.

Home Secretary Priti Patel urged people not to take part in protests while Covid rules were in place.

The first minister says police handled vigils in Wales "in a way that is sensitive" during the pandemic.

The probationary officer had been deployed to Kent in the search operation for Sarah Everard.

The TV presenter seeks to "clarify" social media post about the high-profile disappearance.

She was on her way home from the Sarah Everard vigil when she was confronted by a man.

Why hundreds of women felt compelled to take part in the vigil for Sarah Everard - despite being told it was cancelled.

The home secretary speaks of the fear women have every day while walking home alone.

Police investigating the death of the 33-year-old cordon off part of Sandwich, Kent.

It is "fundamental" women feel listened to when they report violence or assault, Boris Johnson says.

A retired senior Army officer is accused of falsely claiming a £48,000 allowance.

The Labour leader says images of the police making arrests at a vigil for Sarah Everard were “deeply disturbing”.

Two of the women at the vigil for Sarah Everard tell BBC News about being handcuffed at the event.

BBC Weather

Any lingering patches of light rain will clear to the south to leave a dry day.

There will be patchy cloud and sunny spells through the day.

Feeling mild with a gentle north-westerly breeze.

Maximum Temperature: 9C to 12C (48F to 54F).