Prime Minister ‘outraged’ by North Yorkshire police boss’s claim women need to be more ‘streetwise’

Boris Johnson was “outraged” by a Tory police commissioner who said women “need to be streetwise” in the wake of the Sarah Everard case.

Wayne Couzens, a Metropolitan Police officer, falsely arrested Ms Everard as she walked home in south London before raping and murdering her.

North Yorkshire police, fire and crime commissioner Philip Allott said Ms Everard “never should have submitted” to the arrest.

He later apologised but Tory chairman Oliver Dowden said the Prime Minister “profoundly disagreed” with Mr Allott and his “stupid” comments.

In a BBC interview on Friday, he said: “So women, first of all, need to be streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can’t be arrested.

“She should never have been arrested and submitted to that.”

Mr Dowden told Sky News: “The Prime Minister and I were outraged by what he said. It was completely unacceptable.

“I have been very clear in condemning it but I know the Prime Minister shares that view.

“He did immediately apologise and I think that’s appropriate for him to do so.”

Asked whether Mr Allott would be able to stand again for election to the role, Mr Dowden said “I’m not going to pre-empt the selection process.

“The Prime Minister and I profoundly disagreed with what he said, it was a stupid thing to have said and he has rightly apologised for it.”