Please share your experiences of the Met Press Office

A MEMBER WRITES: “I regularly get tip-offs and video footage from contacts in London. Since the Met [Metropolitan Police] introduced a new Media Service Level Statement on 1 August, I have faced major problems getting official Met statements for urgent breaking news.

Waiting for an update from the new New Scotland Yard...

Image © CC BY-SA 4.0 Max Siegmayer

“The Met Press Desk now dismisses queries,” the member continues, “based on video or tip-offs as ‘speculative’. Press officers have refused to check logs or issue statements unless we provide exact details first, such as precise times, junction names, or arrest details. This creates a Catch-22 when trying to verify basic facts for national news desks.”

We would be most grateful if you could share your experiences, particularly:

• Handling breaking news: Have you experienced the Met refusing to verify active incidents - such as weapon calls, cordons, and armed response - when working from tip-offs or third-party footage?
• If so, how are you dealing with this?
• Pre-commissioning barriers: How are independent freelances who license video footage to national desks getting around demands to prove pre-commissioning?

Please email your experiences and any relevant background in confidence to met@londonfreelance.org. We will not reveal your name to anyone unless you give written permission.

© Mike Holderness