Moment police officer defends Christian preacher’s freedom of speech after Whitechapel group say ‘This is a Muslim area’


  • Do you know the preacher? Email matt.strudwick@dailymail.co.uk 

This is the moment a police officer defends a Christian preacher in Whitechapel and is told: ‘This is a Muslim area.’ 

The confrontation sees a female Met Police officer being surrounded by males and telling them: ‘In this country, we have freedom of speech.’ 

She continued: ‘I understand that you guys don’t want to hear it, so I would just recommend that you walk away and don’t listen to him. He’s not in your home.’ 

In a noisy and chaotic scene, a man wearing a black surgical mask appears to tell the officer in reply: ‘This is Whitechapel, this is a Muslim area.’

The Scotland Yard officer has been widely praised for how she handled the situation, and, in some quarters, was hailed as a hero. 

The situation at times threatened to boil over, with footage from the encounter in Whitechapel Road widely shared on social media. 

A male clutching a microphone and Bible can be heard preaching the Gospel in the viral footage, which is believed to have happened on Monday, a day before Ramadan began.

It took place just yards from the East London Mosque, one of the largest in Western Europe, which can accommodate up to 7,000 worshippers for daily prayers. 

Moment police officer defends Christian preacher’s freedom of speech after Whitechapel group say ‘This is a Muslim area’

This is the moment a police officer defends a Christian preacher in Whitechapel and is told: ‘This is a Muslim area’

A male clutching a microphone and Bible (right) can be heard preaching the Gospel in Whitechapel Road, just yards from the East London Mosque

A male clutching a microphone and Bible (right) can be heard preaching the Gospel in Whitechapel Road, just yards from the East London Mosque

In one clip, a bearded male shouts at the preacher ‘talk about Jesus, don’t talk about Muhammad. Don’t say Muhammad.’ 

A male wearing a knee-length black duffel coat and mask then shoves the preacher in the back, which causes him to stumble forward. 

Another man is later repeatedly heard shouting at the preacher: ‘Your God is a Jew.’

A male later explained to the female officer that he phoned police as the preacher was ‘talking about the prophet, then he said like a donkey’ which was upsetting ‘hundreds of people’ walking past. 

He then accuses the preacher of ‘spreading hatred’ and alleges he was calling the Black Stone in the sacred Kaaba building in Mecca ‘a box’. 

But the evangelist denies this and says he was quoting from Muhammad ‘who says if a donkey brays it’s because he is seeing Satan’. 

The female officer defends the preacher and explains to a group of males that ‘in this country we have freedom of speech, the same way you guys have your freedom of speech’.

‘You guys don’t need to see eye-to-eye, and you don’t need to agree,’ she says.

The evangelist denies he was calling Muhammad a donkey and explained he was quoting the prophet 'who says if a donkey brays it's because he is seeing Satan'

The evangelist denies he was calling Muhammad a donkey and explained he was quoting the prophet ‘who says if a donkey brays it’s because he is seeing Satan’

‘You’re all more than welcome to stand here and have conversations with them, but they’re not being aggressive.’ 

According to the most recent Census, 52.2 per cent of the 18,841 people who live in Whitechapel are Muslim. 

The officer continues: ‘I understand that you guys don’t want to hear it, so I would recommend that you just move away and don’t listen to him.’

Another male approaches the officer and complains that ‘he is in our community, and you don’t see Muslims walking around and insulting other faiths’. 

The police constable responds: ‘You guys can preach about your religion the same way he is.’

She denies that he is inciting hatred but admits he is at risk of being assaulted. But she reassures the group that cameras are monitoring the area in what she describes as a ‘heavily Muslim community’. 

The Daily Mail has contacted the Met Police for comment.  


‘Hero’ PC who took on London Bridge terrorists sacked for traveller slur


‘Hero’ PC who took on London Bridge terrorists sacked for traveller slur
DC Mark Luker (not pictured) was one of the first officers on the scene (Picture: AFP)

One of the first police officers on the scene of the 2017 London Bridge terror attack has been sacked for gross misconduct.

DC Mark Luker used the word ‘pikey’ in messages about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people, a tribunal heard.

In one WhatsApp message, the British Transport Policeman used the term ‘dag’s, referencing a scene in the Guy Ritchie film Snatch in which Stephen Graham’s character struggles to understand Brad Pitt’s character’s accent when he mentions dogs.

Luker, in another message, referred to ‘scrap metal, lead roofing and cable’ which he admitted was a joke to associate theft with the Irish Traveller community, the panel was told.

The panel concluded he probably knew the language was ‘offensive’ to a minority community and ruled it gross misconduct.

Luker was a member of a WhatsApp group called ‘Selbie Gumshoes’ with other members of the Major Serious and Organised Crime (MSOC) team.

TOPSHOT - Police officers walk at the scene of an apparent terror attack on London Bridge in central London on June 3, 2017. Armed police fired shots after reports of stabbings and a van hitting pedestrians on London Bridge on Saturday in an incident reminiscent of a terror attack in March just days ahead of a general election. (Photo by DANIEL SORABJI / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SORABJI/AFP via Getty Images)
The terror attacks in 2017 injured dozens of people and killed several (Picture: AFP)

On December 31 2024, during a conversation about someone winning a bottle of whiskey which still had a security tag attached, he wrote: ‘Was this a raffle on a certain kind of site? Lots of mobile-type homes? Lots of ‘Dags?”

He then added: ‘You are the MSOC pikey liaison.’

The panel found that these were ‘deliberate messages that clearly link the Irish Traveller community to acts of theft.’

On March 17, 2025, another group member shared a video of ‘Paddy Day parade on Inishbofin’, with the message: ‘Just like a Disney World Parade. They know how to put on a show,’ the panel heard.

Luker replied: ‘Off to find some scrap metal, lead roofing and cable’, the panel was told.

The panel concluded that this was ‘deliberate and discriminatory’ in linking the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community to theft.

Latest London news

To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro’s London news hub.

Luker said that he was one of the first responders to the 2017 terrorist attack on London Bridge, and one of his coping mechanisms for dealing with the day can involve the use of humour.

He said he did not intend for the word ‘pikey’ in the messages to be offensive, and the panel accepted that DC Luker was not ‘inherently racist’.

The panel wrote: ‘As an experienced BTP police officer used to dealing with a whole range of people, the panel found that, on the balance of probabilities, he probably would have known that this was an especially offensive use of language directed towards members of a minority community.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.


Minister says ‘nothing ruled out’ on Andrew as MP urges Parliament to launch TREASON probe


A Cabinet minister insisted ‘all options’ are on the table today as a senior MP urged Parliament to launch a treason probe into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Bridget Phillipson said the Government is ready to do ‘whatever it takes’, but stressed action must wait until the police finish investigating.

The comments came after former security minister Tom Tugendhat said a special committee of MPs, peers and retired judges should look into the implications for the state.

He said the issues go ‘beyond what a court could reasonably consider’ – suggesting the inquiry should be able to summon witnesses and demand evidence.

Dai Davies, a former head of Scotland Yard’s Royal Protection Command, has told the Mirror an independent inquiry led by a judge is needed. 

Minister says ‘nothing ruled out’ on Andrew as MP urges Parliament to launch TREASON probe

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (pictured last year) and Lord Mandelson are being investigated by police over allegations of misconduct in public office. Both deny any criminal wrongdoing

Lord Mandelson – who has also had his two properties searched by police – was seen leaving his north London home yesterday

Lord Mandelson – who has also had his two properties searched by police – was seen leaving his north London home yesterday

Bridget Phillipson said the Government is ready to do 'whatever it takes', but stressed action must wait until the police finish investigating

Bridget Phillipson said the Government is ready to do ‘whatever it takes’, but stressed action must wait until the police finish investigating 

The former prince is being investigated by police over allegations of misconduct in public office, with ex-Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson also being probed. Both deny any criminal wrongdoing.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor is accused of passing Epstein confidential material from his time as a government trade envoy. He has been arrested and released while the investigation continues.

New Labour architect Lord Mandelson is accused of emailing sensitive Cabinet information to Epstein at the height of the Credit Crunch, while he was a minister in Gordon Brown’s administration.

Mr Tugendhat, a Tory MP, told the Sun on Sunday: ‘This affair raises urgent questions about foreign influence and national security. What did the Palace know? What did ministers know? What else is being hidden?

‘This goes beyond what a court could reasonably consider. Parliament must consider what it means for the country. If the worst is proved, do we need to revisit treason laws written 700 years ago?

He added: ‘If these accusations are true, they expose something rotten at the top of the State. If they are not, the public needs proof that the guardrails are strong.

‘Either way, Parliament must send a clear message – Britain will defend itself from every threat, even if it comes from the very top.’

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor spent 11 hours in police custody on Thursday, on his 66th birthday, before being released under investigation, after allegations he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.

Detectives continued to search his former home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor, Berkshire, on Friday and Saturday.

He has denied any wrongdoing over his links to the convicted sex offender, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.

Despite being stripped of his title last year, the former Duke of York is still eighth in line to the throne and an Act of Parliament would be required to remove Andrew and prevent him from ever becoming king.

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat said a special committee of MPs, peers and retired judges should look into the implications for the state

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat said a special committee of MPs, peers and retired judges should look into the implications for the state

It is understood Keir Starmer’s Government will consider introducing such legislation once police have finished their investigation into the King’s disgraced brother.

Lord Mandelson – who has also had his two properties searched by police – was seen leaving his north London home yesterday.

A taxi arrived as the former business secretary was seen leaving his front door carrying a tote bag. He smiled at the taxi driver before entering the car, moving past a small group of waiting photographers.

Asked whether the Government would consider launching a judge-led inquiry, Ms Phillipson told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky: ‘We’ll look at any sensible proposals that do come forward.

‘But it’s premature at the moment, because we do have the police doing their work.

‘They need to have the time and space to do so, as the King set out, no one is above the law, and it’s right that the police go wherever the evidence takes them, so that has to be the focus at the moment.’

Pressed on GB News about the prospect of removing Mr Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession, Ms Phillipson said: ‘Our position is that we should keep all of these options open, but we need the police investigation to carry on, so nothing will happen while this police investigation is underway.

‘But we do believe that all options should be open for consideration. This is extremely serious.’


Revealed: How glamorous German Countess millionaire connected vile Jeffrey Epstein to the heart of UK government – and called him ‘baby’


She was the glamorous German countess with a vast fortune who was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s closest confidantes for 20 years.

Nicole Junkermann stepped down as a trustee of a cancer charity after revelations of her friendship with Epstein and newly released emails now show that she may have provided a link between the predatory financier and the heart of Westminster.

The 50-year-old London-based technology investor, convinced health secretary Matt Hancock to appoint her to the government’s influential ‘Healthtech Advisory Board’.

And she even attempted to engineer a meeting between Epstein and former prime minister David Cameron.

The former model and entrepreneur was charged with creating a ‘culture of innovation’ and with guiding the government ‘on its mission to transform technology in the NHS’.

She was photographed standing directly behind Hancock, 47, at the board’s inaugural meeting – a picture he must now wish could be wiped from the archives.

Last week Junkermann stepped down as a trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity as the extent of her roughly two-decades-long friendship with Epstein was exposed.

Lancaster University, where she was a visiting professor, is also reviewing her status. 

Revealed: How glamorous German Countess millionaire connected vile Jeffrey Epstein to the heart of UK government – and called him ‘baby’

A series of newly released emails show Nicole Junkermann (pictured) may have provided a link between Jeffrey Epstein and the heart of Westminster, including senior politicians

Junkermann pictured to the right above former health secretary Matt Hancock (centre), whom she convinced to appoint her to the government's influential 'Healthtech Advisory Board'

Junkermann pictured to the right above former health secretary Matt Hancock (centre), whom she convinced to appoint her to the government’s influential ‘Healthtech Advisory Board’ 

Junkermann (left) married Italian Count Ferdinando Brachetti Peretti (right) in 2017. Mr Peretti is part of a wealthy dynasty that controls the Italian energy giant API

Junkermann (left) married Italian Count Ferdinando Brachetti Peretti (right) in 2017. Mr Peretti is part of a wealthy dynasty that controls the Italian energy giant API

Hundreds of emails released by the United States Department of Justice suggest the paedophile began corresponding with her in May 2009, two months before he was released from prison having served 13 months for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.

Junkermann described Epstein as ‘Mr Wonderful’ in one message in which she suggested she visit him once he was out of jail.

However, a 2003 diary entry she reportedly made, indicates they met years earlier.

Transcribing the diary entry into an email, she wrote: ‘I cannot sleep, I think about Jefrey. There are few people in my life which I want to spend time with – he is one of them.’ How can I trust him? How can I feel so much tenderness?’

By 2011, the pair appeared to have become infatuated with each other. Junkermann called Epstein ‘baby’ and they discussed a mysterious proposal, with Junkermann gushing: ‘You make me smile, you are in my heart.’

Discussing an investment she was mulling, she asked the shamed financier: ‘Daddy, How are u? Should I hedge now at 1.37 or wait? Kiss.’

By 2012, the exchanges become more testy.

Glamorous Nicole Junkermann (centre) pictured with Leona Koenig (left) and Eva Dichand (right) at the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival in 2012

Glamorous Nicole Junkermann (centre) pictured with Leona Koenig (left) and Eva Dichand (right) at the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival in 2012

Epstein at one point rages that he had ‘spent time trying to give you my best advice’ but he was seeing no ‘small sign of a of two-way street [sic] – not one intersting [sic] person, gesture.’

The German entrepreneur protested that Epstein had a selective memory, reeling off apparent gifts including a ‘cashmere bathrobe’ and ‘your jewelery [sic] which you did not appreciate.’

The emails show that Epstein offered Junkermann a job, saying she would be ‘very helpful to me.’

He is said to have arranged introductions to French banker Ariane de Rothschild and Leon Black, the billionaire private equity tycoon.

He also helped to secure her a nomination for the Young Global Leaders programme run by the World Economic Forum by obtaining a letter of recommendation from Larry Summers, the former US treasury secretary, according to a previous report.

In one email Junkermann asks him, ‘Do you trust me?’

Epstein replied: ‘Any reason I shouldn’t?’

Underlining their closeness, in January 2013 Epstein discussed conceiving a baby.

In an email sent to Junkermann, he wrote: ‘how would the baby thing work, what involvement would you need from me, I reflected on what is left to do that i have not already done …voila’

She replied, ‘Wow!’ to which he responded, ‘Is that a code word?’

Epstein followed up with: ‘where ? how ? what would you expect from me, me from you? It would make a better dream work’

Epstein tried to introduce Junkermann to Microsoft founder Bill Gates at a party, emailing her: ‘I have gates on wed, if you would like to join for part..

‘also why dont you consider working for/with me , organizing the worlds most intersintng pocpl, you can invest alongsie, you can re structure house staff, be very helpful to me, and you might find it challenging.’

She replied: ‘Let’s discuss it….Tried to call you’, then adding ‘Miss you.’

Epstein, notorious for trafficking young girls in a private jet he owned dubbed the ‘Lolita Express,’ teased Junkermann about her favoured mode of transport.

He wrote: ‘Why are you dtill (sic) flying commercial, its time to get your own plane. you can afford it.’

She appears to have become a trusted advisor before he was arrested. They jointly invested in an Israeli security start-up called Carbyne, according to a report.

In July 2017, Epstein included her on an email sent to former Israeli PM Ehud Barak, in which he argued that using Cyprus to avoid tax was ‘silly, antiquated and dangerous.’

Junkermann concurred, saying that Cyprus was ‘raising eyebrows’ and that she ‘would propose Luxembourg’ as an alternative.

That same year – 2017 – she married Italian Count Ferdinando Brachetti Peretti, 66, part of a wealthy dynasty that controls the Italian energy giant API.

Hundreds of emails released by the United States Department of Justice suggest paedophile Epstein began corresponding with Junkermann in May 2009. Junkermann pictured here with husband, Ferdinando Peretti

Hundreds of emails released by the United States Department of Justice suggest paedophile Epstein began corresponding with Junkermann in May 2009. Junkermann pictured here with husband, Ferdinando Peretti

Junkermann (centre) pictured with German businessman Patrick Faber-Castell (left) and Trinidadian-German singer Haddaway

Junkermann (centre) pictured with German businessman Patrick Faber-Castell (left) and Trinidadian-German singer Haddaway

 But Justice Department files show that she remained close to Epstein – and was still making introductions for him – even after she became a countess.

In fact, she continued corresponding with the convicted paedophile right up until his second arrest.

In 2018, she wrote to Epstein: ‘I am hosting a lunch on the west coast in March for David Cameron would you like to join or anyone else who I should invite?’

A short time before Epstein was found hanging in his prison cell in August 2019, Junkermann referred to a letter published in The New York Times defending him.

In an email first reported by The Telegraph, she wrote: ‘Cross fingers it is just a wave and it goes away again……. bad timing on the whole Me Too.’

Junkermann’s bond with Epstein was only uncovered when the full treasure trove of evidence was finally released this month.

Born in Düsseldorf in 1975, she is the only daughter of powerful German businessman Heinz Junkermann, who would take her to board meetings from the age of 12.

Raised in Marbella, Spain, she studied business administration and management at the International University of Monaco and attended Harvard Business School in the United States

But she made her bones in the City of London where her NJF Capital has invested in dozens of technology companies including Owkin, an AI healthcare firm worth more than $1bn (£735m) that has struck deals with the NHS.

This perhaps explains how Hancock, who resigned as an MP at the 2024 General Election, came into her crosshairs.

The ‘Healthtech Advisory Board’ was tasked with ‘assisting in policy creation, challenging decision making and acting as a sounding board for new ideas.’

It is not clear when she left that role but the Epstein revelations were too much for those running the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which had appointed her as a trustee in 2024.

The charity raises funds for the Royal Marsden hospital, a specialist cancer centre, which William and Kate became patrons of in January last year and which treated the princess for cancer.

It is understood that Junkermann also stepped down from a role as a visiting professor at Lancaster University, while her Linked-in page was taken down in recent days.

She says she ‘deeply regrets’ her conversations with Epstein and feels she was deceived and misled by him.

A spokesman for the countess said: ‘The scale of Jerey Epstein’s crimes is appalling. As a woman and a mother, Nicole was completely deceived and misled by him and deeply regrets their conversations regarding personal and professional matters.

‘These conversations took place at a time when she was vulnerable, and she was manipulated into trusting him and consulting him with the most personal of matters.

Nicole has been horrified to come to understand his true nature and the suffering he inflicted on women and girls through his abuse of trust, power, and manipulation. Her thoughts are completely with his victims, and she looks forward to the day the real predators face justice.’

Junkermann married her husband, 66, in what one newspaper described as a ‘secret (and) very intimate ceremony attended only by witnesses.’

A glowing 2019 article in the Il Mattino newspaper described Junkermann as a ‘technology consultant to the British government.’

In 2012, she welcomed another Italian publication into her South Kensington home where she boasted that of the 40 start-ups in her portfolio, ‘a full 12 – about one in three—are considered unicorns: they have an average size of over €10 billion.’ 

A Real Madrid fan who speaks five languages, Junkermann added: ‘Everything I’ve done, I’ve built myself.’


Andrew Windsor’s nickname from royal staff ‘too rude to air on TV’ resurfaces


To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video

A member of the royal protection team has revealed the outrageous nickname they had for Andrew Mounbatten-Windsor years ago.

In a resurfaced clip from 60 Minutes, a member of the Royal’s security team said that although the disgraced royal’s official call sign was ‘Purple 41’, staff referred to him by a rather uncouth name.

‘He did have a nickname, but it’s a bit rude to tell you. You wouldn’t be able to air it,’ he said, before finally revealing the nickname.

‘Andrew was known as the c**t. Plain and simple, because unfortunately, he upset everyone he came across.

‘He was the most unpopular member of the royal family while I was there. He was just rude and arrogant, and his sense of self-entitlement was breathtaking.’

Sign up for all of the latest stories

Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.

The ‘deluded’ ex-prince also tried to tell those kicking him out of the Royal Lodge that he was the Queen’s ‘second son’, The Sun reported.

A royal insider said: ‘He refused to leave or take any responsibility. When he was told to get out, he was so arrogant and deluded that he repeatedly shouted, “But I’m the Queen’s second son, you can’t do this to me”.

‘It is extraordinary he chose to use the Queen’s name in his defence. No one is quite sure if the reality of his dire situation has hit home even yet.’

Andrew has been facing intense scrutiny after his arrest last week saw him taken for questioning by Thames Valley Police.

Andrew Windsor’s nickname from royal staff ‘too rude to air on TV’ resurfaces
A former protection officer made the revelation with 60 Minutes (Picture: 60 Minutes)

Sources claimed that despite the arrest, he was ‘more bothered about his horses’ than the scandal surrounding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

He had already been stripped of his titles and exiled from public life before his arrest this week dragged the monarchy into its biggest crisis in decades.

He spent 11 hours in police custody on his 66th birthday before being released under investigation over claims he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.

Detectives continued to search Andrew’s former home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor, Berkshire, this weekend, as he remained holed up in a cottage tucked away on the King’s Sandringham estate.

Before his arrest, the disgraced former duke did ‘nothing but complain since he got here’, according to a Norfolk source close to the family.

(FILES) This undated photo at an undisclosed location released by the US Justice Department on January 30, 2026 as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files shows British former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over a woman lying on the floor. UK police said February 19, 2026, officers were searching two addresses, one in eastern England and one west of London, following the arrest of ex-Prince Andrew on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. New revelations last week appeared to show Andrew sent convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein potentially confidential documents during his time as a UK trade envoy. (Photo by Handout / US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT
Andrew was pictured in compromising positions in the Epstein files (Picture: AFP)

‘It’s extraordinary. He hardly seemed bothered about the Epstein scandal. He was much more worried about where he was supposed to keep his horses,’ they told the Daily Mail.

‘He is in another world.’

The whereabouts of Andrew’s immediate family, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and former wife Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson, are unknown.

Friends of the latter told the Mail she is ‘very, very down’, saying: ‘She feels deeply depressed and that the world is out to get her.’

But they added: ‘What she doesn’t appear to feel is remorse for what has happened. She just wants this to all go away and allow her to get on with her life. Her head is in the sand.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.


Now you see him, now you don’t: Cringeworthy new photos show Andrew trying to hide from photographer as he’s driven away from police station after questioning


Ducking down in a futile attempt to avoid being photographed, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is driven from a Norfolk police station last Thursday.

The former Duke of York was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office by police investigating his dealings with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

After 11 hours in police custody he was released under investigation.   

Now, these exclusive pictures taken for The Mail on Sunday show a look of horror on his face as he saw camera flashes going off and gradually slumped down in the rear seat before disappearing from view in a final image at the Police Investigation Centre in Aylsham. 

But he had already been snapped by the MoS and a Reuters news agency photographer, who got a single picture of him which made headline news around the world.

Now you see him, now you don’t: Cringeworthy new photos show Andrew trying to hide from photographer as he’s driven away from police station after questioning

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as he left Aylsham police station could be seen slouching in the back of his vehicle 

He gradually sinks further down into the seat in a bid to hide from the photographers

He gradually sinks further down into the seat in a bid to hide from the photographers

His attempts to hide would prove too little too late as he had already been snapped by the MoS and a Reuters news agency photographer

His attempts to hide would prove too little too late as he had already been snapped by the MoS and a Reuters news agency photographer

In the final image before the car leaves the station, Andrew can now no longer be seen but a single picture of him had already been taken and it would soon make headline news around the world

In the final image before the car leaves the station, Andrew can now no longer be seen but a single picture of him had already been taken and it would soon make headline news around the world


SHARON CHURCHER: I unearthed this damning photo of Andrew but I’m not surprised he was so blasé about my inquiries… after all, it’s taken 15 years for him to face proper scutiny


It is a photo that has been reproduced countless times around the world – and rightly so. Prince Andrew grins proudly as he clutches 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre’s bare waist in a Belgravia mews house. Ghislaine Maxwell, owner of the property, smirks at their side.

When Virginia, by then a mother of three, gave The Mail on Sunday permission to first publish that picture in February 2011, she believed it would shock the British authorities into investigating the ties between Andrew and paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein had employed her as a ‘sex slave’ in the prostitution ring that he ran with Maxwell, she told me. He had paid her for providing services that night to the 41-year-old prince, including sex in a bathtub. ‘It was made clear to me that my job was to do whatever pleased him,’ she later told me.

I’d been on the case of Andrew and his links to Epstein for some time – and news of my enquiries had already reached the financier, as the trove of documents released by the US Department of Justice makes clear.

Buried among them is this email conversation from February 25, 2011:

Epstein: ‘The reporter Churcher is calling around in new york now.’

Andrew: ‘No worries!’

Epstein: ‘Terribly sorry, I would have hoped this would have gone away.’

Andrew: ‘The MoS are the one paper here everyone least likes and is just gratuitously trying it on… Not bothered any further about it but will keep watch. A.’

SHARON CHURCHER: I unearthed this damning photo of Andrew but I’m not surprised he was so blasé about my inquiries… after all, it’s taken 15 years for him to face proper scutiny

Prince Andrew grins proudly as he clutches 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre’s bare waist in a Belgravia mews house in a photo unearthed by the Mail’s Sharon Churcher 

Andrew attending the Christmas Day service at Sandringham Church in 2025, months before he would move onto the estate after being booted out of Royal Lodge

Andrew attending the Christmas Day service at Sandringham Church in 2025, months before he would move onto the estate after being booted out of Royal Lodge

Epstein’s antennae were twitching, yet Andrew seemed positively blasé – with good reason. For, if Virginia assumed the British authorities would respond to her bravery by addressing Andrew’s behaviour, she was wrong.

While the FBI interviewed Virginia in Australia, where she lived, in Britain her claims were all but dismissed. In 2015, a police spokesman said: ‘Officers assessed all available evidence at the time… This did not result in any allegation of criminal conduct against any UK-based nationals.’ And that, so far as the Establishment was concerned, was that.

Andrew, of course, has strenuously denied all wrongdoing from the outset. Yet allegations about his continuing friendship with Epstein and his conduct as a trade envoy were piling up even by the time Virginia agreed to speak out.

The scale and scope of those concerns were made clear when, in March 2011, former Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant called for Andrew to be dismissed as trade envoy. Writing in the MoS, he pointed to a ‘catalogue of inappropriate connections… bringing not just Britain but the Royal Family into disrepute’.

These included friendships with Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi and other dictators, links with a Libyan gun smuggler and businessmen in the ‘Wild East’ of former Soviet states, notably Kazakhstan. 

Kazakh businessman Timur Kulibayev had bought Andrew’s house, Sunninghill in Ascot, for £3 million above the asking price – raising obvious questions about the possibility of money laundering. 

The following month, Andrew was obliged to distance himself from his banker friend David ‘Spotty’ Rowland – who had accompanied him on a secret visit to meet Gaddafi, and who’d been denounced as shady in the Commons.

Later that year, we reported that, while acting as trade envoy in the Far East, Andrew stayed in hotel suites advertised at up to £7,700 a night at the taxpayer’s expense.

Andrew suggested in a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview that the photo may have been doctored

Andrew suggested in a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview that the photo may have been doctored

Paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge in 2004, at which time he and Andrew were friends

Paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge in 2004, at which time he and Andrew were friends

He was forced to quit his role following our revelations, but ‘Air Miles Andy’ continued to enjoy the high life, representing the UK Government on official business. Bryant concluded that ‘Downing Street would not entertain anything that might possibly be interpreted as an attack on a member of the Royal Family.’

So, the matter was quietly dropped – with journalists left to do the job instead. The turning point came last autumn with the discovery of three devastating emails by the MoS. First we revealed that, in 2011, Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson had called Epstein her ‘supreme friend’, despite denouncing him in public as a paedophile.

Then we revealed that several months after Andrew claimed to have cut off contact with Epstein, he told the financier: ‘We are in this together and must rise above it… let’s play some more soon.’

That was followed by our revelation that Andrew had asked his police bodyguard to investigate Virginia in the hope that she might have a criminal record.

King Charles was finally forced to act. He booted Andrew out of his home and stripped him of all remaining titles. And today, from the Epstein Files, we know much, much more.

While the legal process must take its course, Virginia would have been pleased by Andrew’s arrest and the welcome light of scrutiny. But it came too late for her as she took her own life last April at the age of 41.

She once told me: ‘I’ve gone from pain, to hurt, to anger. Epstein was a monster. He and Andrew were shameless. They have no remorse.’


Ambassador’s warning to Government over ‘crass and offensive’ envoy Andrew: ‘He does our interests no good’


A British ambassador warned the Government more than two decades ago that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s behaviour as a roving trade ambassador was damaging his country and the Royal Family.

Diplomatic papers leaked to The Mail on Sunday reveal that Andrew, who was recommended for the role by his friend Peter Mandelson, caused deep concern among officials within weeks of starting work.

Patrick Nixon, then ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, said of the then Duke of York’s visit to the region in November 2001: ‘I was particularly alarmed by some crass and offensive remarks about Saudi Arabia and its oil which he made to distinguished Emiratis.’

But it was Andrew’s behaviour at a reception during a return visit the following year that prompted Mr Nixon to complain to the Government.

His concerns reached the head of the diplomatic service at the Foreign Office in London, but it would be nearly ten years before Andrew was forced to quit as UK trade envoy over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

During this time, he is said to have passed potentially confidential and sensitive documents to the convicted paedophile.

In a letter dated October 15, 2002, and marked RESTRICTED – PERSONAL,

Mr Nixon tells Sir Stephen Brown, the UK Trade and Industry chief executive, that by rudely disregarding a number of dignitaries, including an Emirati royal, ‘the Duke has damaged rather than enhanced our standing and that of the Royal Family’.

Ambassador’s warning to Government over ‘crass and offensive’ envoy Andrew: ‘He does our interests no good’

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with Sir Charles Masefield in 2001. Patrick Nixon, then ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, said of the then Duke of York’s visit to the region in November 2001: ‘I was particularly alarmed by some crass and offensive remarks about Saudi Arabia and its oil’

Andrew with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Crown prince in November, 2001

Andrew with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s Crown prince in November, 2001 

The embassy reception on October 9, which was attended by 400 guests, was held to celebrate British engineering firm Halcrow’s 50 years of trading in the Gulf.

One guest, Shaikh Saif, nephew of the ruler of Fujairah on the UAE’s east coast, travelled for four hours to meet Andrew, only to be snubbed after waiting another hour at the reception to greet him.

‘I was obliged to telephone the director of the Ruler’s Court to apologise,’ said Simon Collis, then Consul-General in Dubai. ‘Dr Al Kindi was characteristically courteous but it was clear he felt the gesture was appropriate.’

On receiving Mr Nixon’s letter detailing Andrew’s offensive behaviour, Sir Stephen raised the matter with the Foreign Office.

Writing to Michael Jay, head of the diplomatic service, he said: ‘I find it inexplicable that someone whose own life is governed by royal protocol does not appear to appreciate the harm he is doing.’

Having ‘experienced two similar, though potentially less damaging incidents’ when Andrew visited Singapore, Sir Stephen said he sympathised ‘deeply’ with British diplomats stationed in the UAE.

He concluded that Andrew ‘does our interests no good and himself no service by such ill-considered action’, adding despairingly that the then prince ‘told me he intends to visit the Gulf annually. Does this, or visits to the UK by those offended, provide any opportunity to repair the damage? Or is it best to let the matter drop?’

The embassy imbroglio was detailed in full in an October 15 report by Mr Collis, who noted that Halcrow changed the date of the event to accommodate Andrew as ‘guest of honour’.

Diplomatic papers leaked to The Mail on Sunday reveal that Andrew, who was recommended for the role by his friend Peter Mandelson, caused deep concern among officials within weeks of starting work

Diplomatic papers leaked to The Mail on Sunday reveal that Andrew, who was recommended for the role by his friend Peter Mandelson, caused deep concern among officials within weeks of starting work

On receiving Mr Nixon's letter detailing Andrew's offensive behaviour, Sir Stephen Brown raised the matter with the Foreign Office writing to Michael Jay, head of the diplomatic service

On receiving Mr Nixon’s letter detailing Andrew’s offensive behaviour, Sir Stephen Brown raised the matter with the Foreign Office writing to Michael Jay, head of the diplomatic service

He wrote: ‘We were mindful of the Duke’s behaviour at a reception during his last visit when he arrived late and avoided until the last minute the “majlis” area [sitting places] where senior Emirati dignitaries habitually sit on these occasions.

‘We agreed the Duke should enter the majlis area directly on arrival, greet the assembled dignitaries, be presented with a specially produced commemorative copy of Halcrow’s book from the Chairman (the only photo op of the event) and remain in the majlis while the Chairman made a four-minute speech.

‘The whole process would take no more than ten minutes. HRH would then be free to follow his instincts and mingle freely with the other guests… All this was agreed with Halcrow, and with the Duke’s Private Secretary.’

But ignoring the carefully laid plans, Andrew ‘deliberately instructed his driver to drop him at the public entrance to the garden and plunged into the crowd of guests’.

To the dismay of diplomats, he then rejected their repeated entreaties to ‘attend the majlis’.

Mr Collis said: ‘He brushed off attempts to introduce him to the dignitaries there, preferring to work them himself, with the result that he was not able to greet properly the most senior guest, Shaikh Saif… a young man being groomed for major decision-making.’

Mr Collis, who later became UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia, added: ‘The net effect of this behaviour on both the British exporter and on their most senior Emirati sponsors and clients was negative.’

Andrew in the UAE in November 2001. It was on this visit the former prince snubbed Shaikh Saif, nephew of the ruler of Fujairah on the UAE's east coast, who waited hours for a meeting with Andrew

Andrew in the UAE in November 2001. It was on this visit the former prince snubbed Shaikh Saif, nephew of the ruler of Fujairah on the UAE’s east coast, who waited hours for a meeting with Andrew

Afterwards Halcrow chairman Tony Allum complained to the Consul-General about the Duke’s behaviour, though ‘more in sorrow than anger’.

‘He noted that he had behaved in similar fashion at an event with Halcrow in the UK earlier in the year,’ wrote Mr Collis.

Mr Collis encouraged Mr Allum to speak with candour when meeting Sir Stephen because he ‘needed to know what experience British businesspeople had of our Special Representative’.

And he concluded witheringly that inviting Andrew to another reception would be ‘counterproductive in terms of relations with Sheikhs and other senior Emiratis (the target audience the duke is most uniquely suited to influencing here) unless we could be confident he is ready to stick to an agreed programme for ten minutes’.

Andrew was forced to give up his trade role in 2011 over his links with Epstein.

From the outset, Charles had expressed concerns about his younger brother’s suitability for the role, but his mother, the Queen, overruled him with the backing from the former trade secretary Mandelson, who, like Andrew, is now under investigation over allegations of misconduct in public office.

At the time, Mandelson said: ‘As a former trade secretary I know of the great importance of trade missions. With a royal association they can achieve a reach into overseas foreign markets which is of immense value to the economy of the country.

‘In that context the Duke of York will have a very important role for which he is well qualified.

‘This activity on behalf of the nation should not be confused with the commercial activities for personal gain which is associated with certain other members of the Royal Family.’


Cab driver jailed for raping woman who fell asleep in his car


Cab driver jailed for raping woman who fell asleep in his car
Dominic Dalton raped his sleeping passenger at her home (Picture: Wales News Service)

A predatory taxi driver has been jailed for raping a sleeping passenger after carrying her to bed.

Dominic Dalton took advantage of his victim after she fell asleep in his cab, a court heard.

The woman had been picked up along with a friend following a night out in Aberystwyth, Wales, on February 25, 2024.

Dalton, 30, of Pencader, Carmarthenshire, dropped off the friend before turning off his meter and taking the sleeping woman home and putting her to bed.

She later woke to find him raping her.

The woman managed to grab a knife from the kitchen and screamed at him to leave her house.

When he refused, she ran outside barefooted at used the knife to slash his tyres before seeking refuge at a neighbour’s house, where she alerted the police.

Dalton eventually left the property in his car and parked up nearby.

The predatory cabbie then flagged up another taxi, claiming that his tyres had blown out.

He later drove back to the woman’s home when he realised her phone was with him.

However, police had already arrived in the area.

This Is Not Right

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.

You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.

Read more:

In a desperate attempt to avoid being caught, he made attempts to formulate his story, the court heard.

His phone records revealed searches including ‘have you been falsely accused of rape?’ and ‘perverting the course of justice’, ‘wasting police time in cases involving allegedly false allegations of rape’.

The taxi driver was later arrested, but denied charges of rape, telling Swansea Crown Court that the sexual activity was entirely consensual.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison on Wednesday.

A jury had found him guilty after less than two hours of deliberation.

DI Mathew Nelson said: ‘I sincerely commend the victim’s bravery and resilience in coming forward to report the heinous crime of which she had been subjected to.

‘Engaging with the Criminal Justice System as the victim has in this case takes an act of immense courage that deserves profound respect.

‘By standing up and reporting Dalton, the victim has protected other members of the community too. I hope this conviction and sentencing brings some closure to the victim after experiencing such an horrific ordeal.

‘As a taxi driver, Dalton’s job was to ensure that his passengers got home safely. He abused that position that night, exploiting the victim’s vulnerability, and later went on to lie about his actions.

‘The conviction and sentence passed serves to punish Dalton for his actions, but importantly also validate the victim’s voice.

‘I hope the outcome will give confidence to other victims, in knowing their voices will be heard and listened to.

‘I hope for the wider community, you will feel safe in the knowledge that a perpetrator such as Dalton has been dealt with robustly.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.