A Series of Security Failures at the Met
The Metropolitan Police have faced yet another security breach, this time involving the disappearance of Tasers and ammunition from their possession. This incident has raised serious concerns about the handling of dangerous weapons by armed officers.
According to recent reports, three Tasers were reported missing from the MO19 firearms command, which is part of Britain’s largest police force. Two of these Tasers, classified as firearms with a maximum charge of 50,000 volts, are still unaccounted for, while one has been recovered. In addition, two Taser cartridges have been permanently lost, along with 25 rounds of ammunition—comprising both 9mm and 5.56m bullets—over a five-year period up to April 2025.
Interestingly, South Yorkshire and West Midlands forces did not report any loss of firearms, Tasers, or ammunition during the same timeframe, highlighting the severity of the issue within the Met.
A Disturbing Discovery in Clapham
This latest incident comes just days after five officers were suspended over allegations that guns were left outside the home of Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, in Clapham, south London. The weapons were discovered late on Tuesday evening by a pregnant passer-by who became suspicious after spotting a duffel bag abandoned on a kerb.
She initially kicked the bag to check its contents but noticed it was unusually heavy. She then went home to ask her partner, Jordan Griffiths, for help. Upon returning, Mr. Griffiths took the bag home and began investigating further, thinking it might be full of coins due to its weight.
Inside the bag, he found an MP5 semi-automatic Heckler & Koch carbine, a Glock pistol, a Taser, and bullets. “It was lucky one of the guns inside didn’t go off or else she and our baby due next month could have been shot and killed,” Mr. Griffiths said afterwards. “I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
He added: “I hate to think what might have happened if any of the people in Clapham had found that bag. It could have been mayhem.”
Immediate Action and Investigation
Mr. Griffiths laid the guns out on his bed and took a picture of them before calling the police, who arrived quickly to collect the weapons. The officers were described as “shocked” to see the weaponry and carefully examined the bag before taking it away.
The police informed him that the luggage had been left by one of Sir Sadiq’s security officers. When Mr. Griffiths asked if there might be a reward for finding the guns, they responded that they would give him “a bag of sweets.”
Among the items in the holdall was the American-made semi-automatic Heckler & Koch MP5SF A3 rifle, capable of firing up to 800 rounds per minute. The Taser stun gun, which can hit targets with 50,000 volts, was in a nylon holster. An Austrian Glock 17 pistol, equipped with at least ten rounds, was stored in a leather holster.
Ongoing Investigations and Concerns
The Metropolitan Police’s directorate of professional standards is currently investigating the incident. The five armed protection officers involved have been temporarily suspended from frontline duties until a conclusion is reached.
Sources have questioned how the bag of weapons came to be removed from Sir Sadiq’s home and abandoned in the street. A former Met firearms officer admitted that police officers are only human and can make mistakes, citing an example of a Special Forces operator who once left their pistol in the toilets of a motorway service station.
However, the insider emphasized that such errors should have consequences. Retired detective chief inspector Mick Neville highlighted that gun crime is common in south London, and “too many villains would have been very pleased” to find the holdall. He stressed that although the Met was lucky the weapons were handed in, it could have resulted in a crime facilitated by a police-issued weapon.
Despite the rarity of such mistakes, Mr. Neville noted that even highly professional police firearms officers can occasionally make errors. Sir Sadiq Khan has been under 24-hour armed protection by a team of around 15 officers since receiving repeated threats to his safety. He revealed the formidable security arrangements at a Labour Party conference fringe meeting in 2021, explaining that the protection is necessary due to the “colour of his skin and the god he worships.”
