Met chief urges Londoners to ‘have a go’ if they see a crime in progress

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Britain's top police officer today told Londoners to “get stuck in” if they see a crime being committed in a dramatic appeal for more members of the public to become have-a-go-heroes.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said that bystanders should give it their “best shot” to protect victims and that people should “never turn your back” if they were physically able to tackle offenders. He added: “If you can, you should intervene.”

The Met Commissioner’s comments, during an interview with LBC, follow the conviction yesterday of 30-year-old knife attacker Muhiddin Mire for an attempted murder at Leytonstone Tube station in December.

Mire slashed the neck of musician Lyle Zimmerman and threatened four other passengers despite passers-by confronting him in an attempt to calm him. One shouted “You ain’t no Muslim, bruv” before police arrived and shot Mire with a Taser to halt the attack.

Asked today about whether the public should step in in future cases, Sir Bernard said he backed intervention.

“My instinct is yes. If you can you should intervene,” he told LBC presenter Nick Ferrari. “The least you can do is ring the police.

“But if you are physically able and you can get some people around you then I would say give it your best shot. If you can actually get stuck in then give it a go.

"You should never turn your back.”

Sir Bernard said people might not feel able to step in, perhaps because they were accompanying a child, and would have to “think twice” about tackling an offender, but said action was still possible as he gave a three-step guide to intervention.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe 
Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

“My encouragement would always be first of all to try to get help on the phone, secondly if they can get some help, someone to go and get involved with them, thirdly make some noise, put that person on the back foot, and if you can actually get stuck in then give it a go.”

The Met Commissioner said the police officers who tackled Mire deserved praise for their bravery and also paid tribute to the members of the public who had tried to confront the attacker.

He added: “Some members of the public were also very brave. They didn’t know help was coming and they got stuck in and helped that man so they deserve some praise for that.”

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