Sir Mark Rowley grabbed part of the microphone and discarded it as he walked off after Sky News journalist Rob Catherall asked if he was "going to end two-tier policing".

The UK's most senior police chief was walking out of the Cabinet Office in central London where he had been in an emergency COBRA meeting with the prime minister, ministers and other police chiefs to discuss the riots that have spread across the UK.

Hundreds of people have been arrested and many police injured as riots flared up following the Southport stabbing last Monday, which killed three young girls and left 10 other children and adults injured.

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Sir Mark was walking through a small group of photographers and journalists to get to his car on Whitehall on Monday afternoon.

The moment was captured on camera.

Later on Monday, Sir Mark said: "This morning I was part of a positive and constructive COBRA meeting with the prime Minister about our collective response to hateful behaviour and violent disorder across the country.

"There's been a story running all day about my exit from the meeting. This is a distraction from the critical events we are dealing with.

"It was agreed the prime minister would provide an update afterwards and it was not my place to speak publicly. In an effort to move a microphone out of my path I'm sorry that I knocked it to the floor. That was never my intention.

"We remain focused on the critical and urgent matters at hand."

The issue of two-tier policing has come about after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage suggested "the impression of two-tier policing" has become widespread since the "soft policing of the Black Lives Matter protests".

A spokesman for the Met Police told Sky News: "The commissioner had a positive and constructive meeting with the prime minister and partners across government and policing.

"He was in a hurry to return to New Scotland Yard to take action on the agreed next steps."

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Sky's crime correspondent, Martin Brunt, said Sir Mark's actions were "petulant, childish even and unnecessary".

"It was a storm in a teacup, but perception is everything," he said.

"The commissioner, no doubt, like all police chiefs, has been urging his embattled staff to show restraint in the face of bottles, bricks and fire.

"And all on a day when politicians were demanding the full force of the law be brought down on the rioters."

He said the Met's explanation was "mitigation, not a defence".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed Mr Farage's claims of two-tier policing, saying it is a "non-issue" and there is "policing without fear or favour".