Going to the press was in public interest, says neighbour
Miss Symonds had been upset by reports that John Worboys, the black-cab rapist, had admitted further sex assaults. In her late teens, Worboys had picked her up and had drugged her.
Anti-Johnson posters and leaflets have been pasted outside the flat and on Mr Johnson’s car parked in the street.
Revealing his identity in a statement published on The Guardian website last night, Mr Penn said of the incident: “I felt frightened and concerned for the welfare of those involved, so I went inside my own home, closed the door, and pressed record on the voice memos app on my phone.
“After a loud scream and banging, followed by silence I ran upstairs and with my wife agreed we should check on our neighbours. I knocked three times … but there was no response. I went back upstairs into my flat, and we agreed that we should call the police.
“The police arrived within five minutes ... They subsequently called back to thank us for reporting and to let us know nobody was harmed. To be clear, the recordings were of the noise within my own home. My sole concern up until this point was the welfare and safety of our neighbours.
“I hope that anybody would have done the same thing. Once clear that no one was harmed, I contacted The Guardian, as I felt it was of important public interest.
“I believe it is reasonable for someone who is likely to become our next prime minister to be held accountable for all of their words, actions, and behaviours. I, along with a lot of my neighbours all across London, voted to remain within the EU. That is the extent of my involvement in politics.”
Scotland Yard said there had been no cause for police action.