Officers faced Met hearing after attack

FIREARMS officers on duty in Westminster on the day that Pc Keith Palmer was fatally attacked faced a “misconduct hearing” over the incident that led to his death, an inquest heard.

Pc Lee Ashby and his partner Pc Nicholas Sanders were patrolling the Palace of Westminster on March 22 last year and were in charge of guarding several entrances, including the Carriage Gates where Khalid Masood attacked Pc Palmer.

However, the pair were not near the open gates and took one-and-a-half minutes to get to the scene after Masood was shot.

The inquest heard that an internal Metropolitan Police misconduct investigation suggested that Pc Ashby and Pc Sanders should have been near where Masood launched his attack.

Pc Ashby told the inquest that he did not agree, and that they were told to be “unpredictable” in their movements due to the hostile terrorist threat.

He said: “I believe you should have a fixed point firearms officer at every entry point,” adding: “I have responsibility to the Members’ Entrance, Carriage Gates and College Green. I can’t do all of those areas.”

No formal action was taken against the pair as a result of the investigation.

The Daily Telegraph approached the Metropolitan Police for comment.