Armed police left bag of guns outside Sadiq Khan's home
The holdall contained an MP5 sub-machine gun, a Glock pistol, a taser and ammunition.
The Metropolitan Police has removed five officers from frontline duties after members of Sadiq Khan's protection team left a bag of weapons outside the Mayor of London's house.
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Police were called to Sadiq Khan's South London home on Tuesday evening after a member of the public found a bag containing Met-issued firearms and equipment.
The bag contained a Heckler & Koch A3 carbine submachine gun, a Glock handgun, a taser and ammunition belonging to the mayor's armed personal protection team.
Five people have been temporarily suspended whilst the Met investigates.
Jordan Griffiths, 35, reported the find to police after his girlfriend kicked the unattended bag and discovered the weapons, taser, and ammunition.
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Griffiths told The Sun: "I thought it might be full of coins and took it inside using both my hands because of its weight.“
I took it upstairs and put it on my bed and opened the bag up. I could not believe my eyes.“
There was a handgun in the front pocket and a sub-machine gun in the main part of the bag.“
There was also a Taser in there and in the back of the bag there was another pocket which felt like it was full of bullets."
The mayor receives 24-hour armed protection after repeated threats to his safety.
The Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards has confirmed it is reviewing the incident.
The Directorate said: "A member of the public called police after finding a bag containing Met-issued firearms and a Taser on a street in south London.
"Within seven minutes of the call to police, officers arrived at the scene and safely recovered the items.
"At this stage it is believed the bag was misplaced by on-duty officers a short time before the member of the public located it."
A spokesperson for the mayor said: "This is a very serious incident, which has been referred to the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards.
"The Met must now take all steps to ensure an incident like this never occurs again," they added.