Sadiq Khan needs 24/7 protection ‘due to colour of his skin and god he worships’

Mr Khan said he had 51 police officers on a team who kept him safe “around the clock” and he revealed his staff had been offered counselling to deal with the “vitriol” that had been levelled at him.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan runs along the seafront in Brighton, England where the Labour Party is holding its conference. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA

The mayor of London has said it is “tough” to have 24/7 protection but that it is necessary because of the “colour of his skin and the god he worships”.

Sadiq Khan told a fringe event at Labour’s annual conference in Brighton, England that when he was first elected mayor in 2016 he rejected the suggestion of having police protection, but that the risks to those around him had persuaded him to relent.