A Met police officer who used unreasonable force against a pensioner in a row outside a post office has been banned from policing.
PC Dan Loft, who patrolled south London, was found guilty of gross misconduct after pushing the pensioner over a wall at a Royal Mail depot.
In the aftermath, the shocked victim told PC Loft to ‘remember who pays your wages’.
The police officer replied by saying: ‘You’re a pensioner, you don’t pay my wages, I pay yours.’
The OAP, known as Mr A, told the panel he went to the depot that morning as he was concerned about two valuable parcels that he couldn’t trace on the Royal Mail’s Tracked Delivery service on November 6, 2024.
After being told to wait until 8am to be served, Mr A was instructed to stand in front of a lorry.
When it moved towards him, he told the panel he felt intimidated and deliberately remained where he was.
The manager of the sorting depot in Purley called police to report the pensioner for obstructing Royal Mail’s operations by blocking the access.
The panel heard that Mr A asked PC Loft if it was 8am yet, when he arrived.
The officer shouted an instruction for him to move out of the highway but shortly afterwards, the officer pushed Mr A with two hands in the chest area, causing Mr A to fall backwards onto his side and back.
Mr A was helped to his feet and appeared shocked, accusing PC Loft of
assault.
In Body Worn Camera footage, the officer can be heard to say
‘square up to me’ before stepping into Mr A’s personal space again and pushing him over a low wall.
This time Mr A was only stopped from hitting the ground by PC Oladimeji and a passer-by.
During the standoff, Mr A requested his shoe, which had come off.
The panel heard how a third confrontation saw the police officer push Mr A on his upper shoulder and say he had committed criminal offences.
The victim walked away, swearing and making a hand gesture, before he was arrested by PC Loft under Section 4A of the Public Order Act and placed in handcuffs, the panel heard.
Mr A was de-arrested shortly afterwards and PC Oladimeji removed his handcuffs, which caused bleeding injuries to his wrists.
The panel found that ‘foul language was used by both parties during the exchange’.
The panel, chaired by Commander Katie Lilburn, ‘found all allegations proven at the level of gross misconduct’.
They also considered Mr A’s overall demeanour to be ‘one of shock and was non-aggressive’.
PC Loft was dismissed without notice and will be placed on the College of Policing barred list, meaning he must not be employed or appointed into policing.
Metro has approached the Metropolitan Police for comment.