Police Clash with Protesters in Peckham After Failed Deportation

Footage has emerged of police clashing with protesters in Peckham, south east London, after a failed deportation arrest due to pressure from the protesters themselves.The Metropolitan Police had attempted to arrest a Nigerian man for immigration offences. A group of people gathered in the local area for hours to stop a vehicle that the arrested man was in from leaving.

On Saturday afternoon, Metropolitan police officers were called to Evan Cook Close after there were reports of "protesters obstructing immigration officers".

The Nigerian man was suspected to have overstayed on his visa.

Footage emerged of protesters sitting on the ground in front of a police van. Another video showed members of the public chanting "let him go" at the officers on the scene.

After hours of the crowd blocking the way, police officers announced that the man would be released from police custody.

A Stand Up to Racism activist, from the South London branch called Nicola, said: "Police tried to arrest a number of activists at the front, but they were held onto by others who were also sitting down and the police gave up. And finally, after a lot of protest, the police announced that they were going to release him (the arrested man) and it took, I don't know, about half an hour for them to actually open the doors so we all stayed and called for this to happen quickly."

A spokesman for the Met explained: "Officers attended and found a van was being prevented from leaving the location. One man has been arrested by immigration enforcement officers for immigration offences."

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: "Preventing immigration enforcement teams from doing their job is unacceptable. Blocking or obstructing them will not deter them from undertaking the duties that the public rightly expect them to carry out."