Two mourners queueing to pay their respects to the Queen were allegedly sexually assaulted by a man who dived into the River Thames to escape, a court has heard.
Adio Adeshine, 19, of East Street, Walworth allegedly exposed himself and pushed into the mourners from behind as they waited in line at Victoria Tower Gardens on Wednesday evening after Westminster Hall opened its doors to the public.
He is said to have gone into the River Thames in a failed bid to evade police officers before coming out and being arrested.
Adeshine was remanded in custody on Friday after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
DAC Stuart Cundy, said: “With ongoing legal proceedings, I’m not able to discuss the full details of this incident. As those present in the queue will have seen, officers were on hand to immediately respond and arrest the man.
“Stewards and police officers in London are present throughout the route to help and support those who are queuing to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Queen. There has been very little crime or other incidents where officers have had to intervene.
“I continue to ask all members of the public to remain vigilant and if you see something that doesn’t look right, please report it to an officer or steward.”
Victoria Tower Gardens is on the final stretch of the queue which forms a zig-zag that can take three hours to clear after mourners cross the Thames on Lambeth Bridge.
Thousands have come to London for a chance to see Her Majesty’s coffin ahead of Monday’s funeral, with mourners queuing throughout the night into Friday.
Later on the morning government officials urged people not to join the line until at least 4pm, with mourners stopped from joining the queue entirely at around 11.35am at the entrance to Southwark Park due to overwhelming demand.
Officials had been preparing for the queue could stretch as far as ten miles, from the Palace of Westminster to inside Southwark Park, near Bermondsey.
