A man has been arrested in Essex on suspicion of urinating on a memorial dedicated to murdered police officer Keith Palmer.
Police said a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency after presenting himself at a police station in Essex.
Metropolitan police commander Bas Javid branded the image “disgusting and abhorrent”.
He said in a statement on Saturday: “We are aware of a disgusting and abhorrent image circulating on social media of a man appearing to urinate on a memorial to PC Palmer.
“I feel for PC Palmer’s family, friends and colleagues.
Shameful
“We have immediately launched an investigation, and will gather all the evidence available to us and take appropriate action.”
Speaking about events on Saturday, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “We have seen some shameful scenes today, including the desecration of Pc Keith Palmer’s memorial in Parliament, in Westminster Square, and quite frankly that is shameful, that is absolutely appalling and shameful.”
MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to PC Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed to death in the grounds Parliament by Islamist terrorist Khalid Masood in 2017, said the image of the man urinating next to the memorial was “abhorrent”.
He tweeted: “Absolute shame on this man. Of all the images to emerge over these few testing days I find this one of most abhorrent. Please help identify him.”
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