Met apologises after Christian singer was told she couldn’t sing church songs on public street

The Metropolitan Police have apologised after a Christian singer was wrongly told that she was not allowed to sing church songs on London’s Oxford Street. 

Harmonie London, a preferred YouTuber with over 300,000 subscribers, was approached by volunteer officer Maya Hadzhipetkova after singing John Newton’s Amazing Grace and Goodness of God by Bethel.

The 20 12 months old says the officer threatened to remove her equipment unless she stopped performing. 

In the shocking encounter captured on video, Ms Hadzhipetkova told the singer that “you are not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds”. 

When London challenged her, the officer stuck her tongue out on the camera. 

The police are still investigating the incident.

In an announcement, the Met apologised and clarified that the officer “was mistaken in saying church songs can’t be sung outside of church grounds”. 

“We’re sorry for the offence caused and can take the educational forward,” it said. 

The Met claimed that the singer had been approached over busking.

“At the guts of that is a particular by-law related to busking. The officer knows she could have handled this in another way and is chatting with her manager,” it said. 

London told the Daily Mail she was “sharing the Gospel”, not busking.

Footage of the encounter uploaded to YouTube has been viewed over 50,000 times. 

Former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe has called for the officer to be “struck off from the voluntary force”.

Speaking to GB News, she said: “She really has got the law completely mistaken and he or she was obviously having fun with herself moderately an excessive amount of, attempting to boss this woman around.

“And there isn’t a basis in any respect for saying you may’t sing. I could walk down the road singing Onward Christian Soldiers and I could be committing no offence in any respect.”