The Met’s Special Escort Group of motorcyclists — not normally used to aid private individuals — initially resisted providing protection to the singer’s entourage, according to the newspaper, but relented after Met Commissioner Mark Rowley intervened.
The move sparked some disquiet, and comes as Britain’s new government battles damaging headlines for accepting freebies, including tickets to Swift concerts.
“The SEG is dedicated to the very serious business of protecting the Royal Family, senior government ministers and foreign heads of state,” ex-Met commander John O’Connor told the Sun. “This is an abuse of an elite service.”
The move came after three of Swift’s earlier Vienna shows had to be cancelled after the CIA warned Austrian authorities about a planned terrorist attack.
U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy did not deny the Sun’s reporting when pressed on it Wednesday morning, although she stressed that ultimate decision-making on security rests with the Met.
She told LBC Radio: “The Met Police have the operational responsibility for this, not the home secretary or the mayor of London.
