The Metropolitan Police have confirmed an officer had to speak to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, after their dog was filmed chaotically running around Hyde Park without a leash. The Royal Parks demand dogs are kept on leashes to prevent harm to wildlife and birds.
In a statement, the force said “We are aware of a video showing a dog being walked off the lead in Hyde Park.”
“An officer, who was present at the time, spoke to a woman and reminded her of the rules. The dog was put back on the lead.”
This is the PM’s third interaction with the police in recent years, after being issued Fixed Penalty Notices for attending a lockdown party in No. 10 and riding in his ministerial car without a seat belt.
No. 10 refused to say whether the Prime Minister would apologise for letting his dog off its lead.
The PM’s spokesman said “I’m not going to be commenting further.”
The video was filmed and uploaded to TikTok this weekend, with the user added “Lol as if Rishi Sunak put his dog on the lead when he saw me filming the sign saying dogs must be on a lead”.
As the PM would have been reminded had he read the park sign, it is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to disturb wildlife.
A Royal Parks’ spokesperson said: “Dogs are welcome in all the Royal Parks, although there are some places where they are not allowed or should be kept on a lead.”
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