The Metropolitan Police has defended its handling of an incident on Marsh Wall in Canary Wharf after video posted on X showed a man entering a woman’s home uninvited and a crowd urging officers to make an arrest. Scotland Yard said officers were called to the address at 18:07 on 13 August 2025 and that its initial inquiries have not identified any criminal offence by the man, who is reported to have entered through an open door after being followed in the street by a group of men. The footage has prompted widespread unease in the area and online. (Scotland Yard said it understood the episode was “distressing for the occupants”.)

Scotland Yard confirmed several arrests were made during the disturbance as officers sought to restore order. A 22‑year‑old woman was arrested on suspicion of common assault, possession of an offensive weapon, affray, possession of a Class B drug and assaulting an emergency worker. Separately a 57‑year‑old woman and a 28‑year‑old man were detained for allegedly breaching a Section 35 dispersal order in place in the area. The force said it was reviewing officers’ body‑worn video and other footage and asked anyone with information or video to contact police or Crimestoppers.

The footage has fuelled accusations of “two‑tier policing” after people online claimed a woman who chased the alleged intruder and others involved in the protest were arrested while the man who entered the property was not detained. Video circulating on social platforms shows officers handcuffing and leading a woman to a police van, and the sequence has been seized on by local campaigners and commentators as evidence of inconsistent policing.

The confrontation took place against a backdrop of sustained unrest around the Britannia International Hotel, which has been earmarked to house asylum seekers and has become a focal point for rival demonstrations. Groups who object to the accommodation plans have faced counter‑demonstrations organised by activists including Stand Up To Racism, and police have been deployed in force to separate opposing crowds. Reports from the scene described flares, attempts to impede deliveries and at least one arrest after a bottle was thrown; officers also used Public Order Act conditions at times to try to prevent escalation.

The local disturbances mirror a wider national picture of tensions over hotel use for asylum accommodation. Police nationally prepared for large‑scale public order operations in recent days, with hundreds of officers drafted in under mutual aid arrangements; one report said some 3,000 riot officers were readied across England and Wales ahead of planned weekend protests. Authorities have repeatedly warned that while lawful protest is permitted, criminality will be dealt with swiftly, and campaigners have warned of the risk of far‑right mobilisation and deliberate disinformation around placements.

Local councils and the Home Office have been drawn into the dispute, amid reports of cancelled guest bookings, staff dismissals and furniture and beds being moved into the Britannia Hotel as plans for asylum accommodation were announced. Analysis in the Financial Times has argued the site has become a flashpoint because of both the sudden nature of some placements and the political and media attention they attract, warning that the situation risks further escalation unless clearer communication, improved safeguarding arrangements and alternative housing solutions are put in place.

Police say the events on Marsh Wall are complex and under active investigation. The use of a Section 35 dispersal order — a power used by officers to direct people to leave an area to prevent or reduce anti‑social behaviour — was cited in relation to two of the arrests, and the force reiterated it would review all body‑worn and other video evidence to understand what happened. The Met has urged anyone with relevant footage or information to come forward as enquiries continue.

📌 Reference Map:

Reference Map:

Source: Noah Wire Services