US officials secretly flew an American diplomat accused of possessing indecent images of children out of the UK without telling British police, it has been reported.
According to The Sun, US authorities raided the diplomat’s London flat last month, seizing him and taking him to an American airbase for removal.
American personnel have no powers of arrest in Britain and, The Sun reported, there was no formal request for the man to be extradited.
UK ministers are understood to be in contact with the US embassy over the incident, which could further strain relations between London and Washington.
A Government spokesperson said: “We expect all foreign diplomats in the UK to abide by our laws, in the same way we expect all UK diplomats to do so when posted overseas.
“As a US investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
The man’s seizure is reported to be related to an investigation into another individual in the US.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “On Tuesday August 25, US authorities made us aware of an investigation they are conducting into suspected offences in London relating to indecent images of children.
“We continue to liaise with them regarding this matter.”
The incident comes two months after then-deputy prime minister David Lammy said he would raise with the US government the case of an American fighter pilot who avoided a trial under English law for strangling a woman in Cambridge.
Captain Jacob Wulfson was tried at a court martial on a US airbase, despite his alleged crime taking place while he was off-duty, and was jailed for six months after being convicted of strangulation.
He was acquitted of charges of sexual assault and aggravated sexual contact.
Downing Street said at the time it was “very concerning” that Capt Wulfson’s case had not been dealt with by the Crown Prosecution Service.
A US embassy spokesperson said: “We are aware of allegations concerning an individual assigned to the US Embassy in London. The United States government expects all personnel to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and we take these allegations seriously.
“While we can’t comment on the specifics of the case, we quickly informed UK law enforcement and took swift action, and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners regarding these allegations.
“The individual in question has been reassigned to the United States in conjunction with an ongoing investigation. The Embassy has informed British authorities of the case.”
