Coronation plot to 'spark a stampede of military horses and douse troops in paint'

POLICE were up against a "criminal network" determined to wreak havoc at King Charles' Coronation, Met chief Sir Mark Rowley said yesterday

- Martyn Brown

He said his force received "serious and reliable" intelligence that antimonarchists would use rape alarms and loudhailers to terrify horses.

They also planned to "extensively" vandalise monuments and hurl paint over Saturday's procession, he added.

Sir Mark said officers were so concerned, they briefed Home Secretary Suella Braverman and London's mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday night.

Meanwhile, MPs said Scotland Yard should not have to apologise and police were "doing their job" to protect the public.

Writing in a newspaper, Sir Mark called the arrests "unfortunate", but blasted "ill-informed commentary" about officers' actions.

He said: "Protest important is an right in any democracy, but it is limited and has to be carefully balanced alongside consideration for the rights of others so 'Specific in Chris Philp they too can go about their normal business - in this case participating in a once-in-a generation event.

"Parliament has created laws requiring police to act to bring this careful balance.

"By Friday evening, only 12 hours from the Coronation, we had become extremely concerned by a rapidly developing intelligence picture suggesting the Coronation could suffer.

"This included people intent on using rape alarms and loudhailers as part of their protest, which would have caused distress to military horses. We also had intelligence that people intended to extensively vandalise monuments, throw paint at the procession and incur on to the route."