Eleven police officers injured by ‘corrosive substance’ in Barnet

Eleven Metropolitan Police officers have been injured by a “corrosive substance” during a drug bust in North London.

They had been called to an industrial area in Dale Close, Barnet, around 1:50 p.m. BST.

All of the injured officers were taken to hospital but are not believed to be in a life-threatening condition, the Met said.

Several men were arrested on suspicion of drug-related crimes.

The London Ambulance Service (LAS) said four people, in addition to the officers, were also treated at the scene.

A LAS spokeswoman said 15 people in total were taken to the hospital for injuries; none are believed to be life threatening at this stage.

She added: “We dispatched a number of resources, including ambulance teams, two incident response officers, an advanced paramedic, and medics in rapid response cars.

“We also dispatched our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).”

The Met said it was in the process of informing the families of the injured officers. Other officers remain at the scene.

The force’s Professional Standards Directorate had been informed, as was routine, he added.

Reacting to the injuries, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “shocked” by the news.

“It is a stark reminder of the real dangers our agent workers face every day while keeping us safe,” Khan said.

“On behalf of all Londoners, I wish you a speedy recovery.”