‘She was doing her best’: Met chief defends volunteer officer who told Christian busker ‘you can’t sing outside church’

2 February 2024, 00:34 | Updated: 2 February 2024, 00:39

Sir Mark Rowley has defended the special constable.
Sir Mark Rowley has defended the special constable. Picture: Social media/Alamy

By Jenny Medlicott

An officer who told off a Christian busker for singing ‘church songs’ was ‘just doing her best’, the Metropolitan Police chief has said.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Harmonie London, a 20-year-old gospel singer who regularly performs in central London, was told by special constable Maya Hadzhipetkova over the weekend that she’s “not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds”.

Ms Hadzhipetkova intervened despite there being no laws against religious singing on the pavement - just local bylaws over busking licences and obstructing roads.

The confrontation took place outside John Lewis on Oxford Street, where Ms London defended her right to sing the songs.

The officer told the gospel singer she could not sing "outside of church grounds unless you have been authorised by the church to do these kind of songs".

But Ms London went on: "That's a load of rubbish, you're allowed”.

Addressing the incident, Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley defended the volunteer as he said she was “doing her best”.

He said she had been on patrol and decided to speak to the busker following complaints.

Sir Mark acknowledged that perhaps the special constable did not handle the situation perfectly but said “she’s a volunteer doing her best who made a mistake”. He said the force is now dealing with the matter as a management issue.

But Sir Mark also condemned the abuse being hurled towards the volunteer online, as he said has suffered racist abuse and vitriol despite volunteering in the role to help out her community.

Read more: Met launches investigation into volunteer officer who told Christian busker 'you can't sing outside of church'

Read more: Moment volunteer cop tells Christian singer she is 'not allowed to sing church songs outside church'

At the time, Ms London said the incident breached Article 9 of the Human Rights Act, which protects freedom of religion.

The singer continued: "Are you saying that you don't care about the Human Rights Act?" - before accusing her of 'laughing'.

This prompted the volunteer officer to stick her tongue out at the singer.

The Met apologised after it reviewed body-worn footage of the incident.

A statement from the force said: "We're reviewing body worn video of this interaction - it's more than 40 minutes long. At the heart of this is a specific by-law related to busking.

"The officer knows she could have handled this differently and is speaking to her manager."

It added, however, that the footage shared online only showed a snippet of the full 43-minute conversation between the special constable and busker.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Harry and Meghan at the opening ceremony for the Invictus Games.

Meghan and Prince Harry cheer on Team UK at Invictus Games opening ceremony

Daisy the Labrador.

Stolen dog reunited with family after seven years

Irish boxer John Cooney.

Boxer dies from a brain bleed, from injury during championship fight

'Make Europe Great Again' Rally In Madrid

'Make Europe Great Again': Far-right European political leaders praise Trump at Madrid meeting

Kanye West.

Rapper Kanye West advertises t-shirt featuring a Nazi swastika, after 'antisemitic rampage' on X

Andrew Gwynne.

Minister sacked after posting he hoped 'pensioner who didn’t vote Labour would die' in WhatsApp group

Police officers hold back protesters trying to block the road.

Two arrested as protesters clash with police outside proposed site for new Chinese ‘mega-embassy’ in London

Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

'She's terrible': Trump takes swipe at Meghan, but will not deport Prince Harry

Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted by a crowd as they arrive in the Gaza Strip after being released from an Israeli prison following a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.

Emotional scenes in West Bank and Gaza as Palestinians reunited with their families after release from Israeli prisons

Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Bebe King.

'She was grateful for life': parents of Southport stabbing victims pay tribute to their children

Israeli hostage reunited with his family.

Emotional moment Israeli hostages reunite with families after being paraded on stage by Hamas

Police officers hold back protesters trying to block the road at the rally.

Protesters clash with police as thousands rally outside proposed site for new Chinese ‘mega-embassy’ in London

The father of the Huszti sisters has said he believes his daughters were "kidnapped" and "cruelly killed"

Heartbroken father of sisters found dead in River Dee believes they were 'lured to their death'

Hollyoaks star and country singer thought to be son of British couple shot dead in French villa ‘by UK gangsters’

Hollyoaks star breaks silence over death of mum found dead in French villa with her husband

Harvey Willgoose's parents Caroline Willgoose (left) and Mark (right) holder a banner as they march to Bramall Lane in memory of their son

Hundreds gather for memorial march after 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose stabbed to death at school in Sheffield

Police tell locals to stay away from Jeremy Clarkson’s pub due to large gathering of pony and traps

Police tell locals to stay away from Jeremy Clarkson’s pub due to large gathering of pony and traps