Man convicted of threatening behaviour towards Mike Freer MP

A man has been convicted a day after he was arrested by the Met for threatening behaviour towards a London MP.

James Phillips, 46 (13.05.77), of Brampton Park Road, N22, pleaded guilty to malicious communications at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 7 February.

An investigation was launched on Thursday, 1 February after we were contacted by the office of Mike Freer MP that he had received a threatening and abusive phone call the previous day.

Officers carried out a number of enquiries and this resulted in Phillips being identified as the person who had made this call. He was arrested on Tuesday, 6 February.

Detective Superintendent Will Lexton-Jones, from the local policing team in north-west London, said: "This incident was first reported to us less than a week ago. Officers carried out urgent enquiries to identify and locate the suspect and detectives have worked tirelessly to secure charges.

"This conviction demonstrates how seriously we treat threats and abuse towards MPs and other public officials."

Phillips also pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker after he attempted to strike an officer while he was in custody.

He will be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday, 6 March.

+ Further information about the Met's work to protect London MPs

The Met is linked regularly in with Operation Bridger – the national policing operation that coordinates protective security advice and support for MPs across the UK. We have been working with them to address wider concerns regarding the safety and security of elected officials.

Officers from across the Operation Bridger network, together with colleagues from Members’ Security Support Service in Parliament, have been signposting security advice and support to MPs and staff in their region. Regional personal security briefings providing practical advice are also being held for MPs and other locally elected officials across the country.

Where particular concerns are identified, security arrangements are reviewed, adapted and strengthened as appropriate. We continue to review the support we provide to MPs and their staff to ensure we have the right measures in place to keep them safe.

Year-round the Met works closely with Parliamentary authorities on issues relating to the security of MPs and security arrangements for individual MPs are kept under continual review. This is done by the Parliamentary authorities, Government, the Met’s Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team and local officers from the national Operation Bridger network.

Any MPs who continue to have general concerns about their security can contact their local Operation Bridger officer. Should any MPs or their staff have any immediate concerns about their safety then they should contact their local police force straight away or call 999.