No one – on either side of the barrel of a gun – is above the law

Editorial: The truth is that it is in the nature of armed police duty that preventable tragedies will happen, and all that can be done to minimise their incidence must be undertaken

(AFP via Getty Images)

Exaggerated as fears of gun crime in London can be, it is still a relief that the minority of armed officers in the Metropolitan Police who had relinquished their “ticket” to carry a gun have mostly changed their minds.

Regrettable as it is, the capital does need a competent fast-reaction armed force to deal with armed incidents, hostage-taking, terrorism and other spasmodic but serious threats to life and limb. The offer of army support, and from other constabularies, was welcome in the circumstances, but it was never going to be sustainable, let alone optimal.

The change in mood seems to be due to firm statements made by the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, in the light of the Chris Kaba case.