Roy Larner: Man who shouted ‘f*** you I’m Millwall’ at London Bridge terrorists investigated by police over racist tirade video
Exclusive: The Metropolitan Police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact them
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Roy Larner, the man who shouted "f*** you I'm Millwall" at the London Bridge terrorists, is being investigated by police over a video that shows him issuing a series of racist insults.
The probe comes after video emerged of the man known as the Lion of London Bridge shouting racist abuse at students and spitting in a black photographer's face.
Police are now looking to speak to anyone who saw the events, which happened outside the arts college in the capital's Elephant and Castle.
The incident happened in February, long before the terrorist attack at London Bridge. But a video of it was posted earlier in July, prompting a member of the public to report it to police a week later.
Following the London Bridge attack, Mr Larner was hailed as a hero for having taken on the three terrorists with his bare hands, shouting his now famous slogan. That heroism prompted members of the public to donate £50,000 to get the unemployed Londoner back on his feet.
In the video that emerged in July, he appeared to have entered into a confrontation with anti-racism protesters over the dogs that he was walking.
"They said something to Roy about the dogs, when he was taking them for a walk,” his mother said after the attack. "These blokes, about four or five of them said something to Roy and he turned round and you know, he'll stand up to anyone.
"I don't know what they said to him, I was in a hurry and we were not really talking at the time.
"He was taking the dogs for a walk and was on his way back to his girlfriend's, he gave them a mouthful."
Now Mr Larner subsequently apologised for any offence caused by the abuse.
"I have seen the video clip and I’m sorry to have caused any offence, it wasn’t intentional and something that took place months ago," he told The Sun.
"I was out walking my dogs and got caught up in a march. The dogs got agitated as the marchers were coming over to them, things got heated and personal, a slanging match started and got abusive, bad language was used and they were taunting me."
He said that "I couldn’t just walk away without saying anything."
The Metropolitan Police told The Independent: "Officers from Southwark borough are aware of reports of a man racially abusing another on social media.
"A crime report has been created and police are investigating the matter."
A spokesperson said anyone who witnessed the incident outside the Arts College in Elephant and Castle, or anyone with any information, to contact T/DC Samuel Cafferty at Walworth Community Safety Unit on 101 or contact via Twitter @MetCC.