Johnson’s comments on burka not a hate crime, says Met chief

BORIS Johnson’s controversial comments about Muslim women wearing the burka do not amount to a hate crime, Britain’s most senior police officer has said.

Scotland Yard chief Cressida Dick said that while many have found the remarks offensive, officers assess that Mr Johnson (right) did not commit an offence.

She also confirmed that police have not received any criminal complaint against the former foreign secretary.

Mr Johnson sparked a furore earlier this week by writing in an article for the Daily Tele- graph that women wearing the Muslim face veil looked like letterboxes and bank robbers.

Yesterday Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ms Dick said: “I also know that many other people believe strongly that in the whole of the article, what Mr Johnson appears to have been attempting to do was to say that there shouldn’t be a ban and that he was engaging in a legitimate debate.” Asked what she made of the language used by the ex-cabinet minister, Ms Dick told the BBC Asian Network: “Some people have clearly found it offensive. “I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime and, although we have not yet received any allegation of such a crime, I can tell you that my preliminary view — having spoken to them — is that what Mr Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence. He did not commit a criminal offence.”

Mr Johnson has been urged by a number of senior Tories to apologise.

But sources close to him have made clear that he stood by the article, in which he argued against a burka ban.

Supporters have also suggested that the Brexiteer is being targeted in an attempt to ward off a possible challenge to Mrs May in the autumn.

The row moved into its fourth day yesterday, with pressure mounting on the Conservative leadership to decide whether to take action against Mr Johnson who was maintaining his silence on a holiday break.