LONDON: Five more police officers allegedly placed bets on the timing of the UK general election, a force spokesperson said on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak withdrew support from two Conservative candidates over the escalating scandal.

The row has overshadowed the closing stretch of the election campaign as Sunak struggles to close his party’s 21-point average poll deficit to Keir Starmer’s Labour opposition before the July 4 vote.

London’s Metropolitan Police said the Gambling Commission had informed it that five additional officers and a member of Sunak’s protection team were believed to have gambled on the election date.

The protection officer was arrested this month on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and has been placed on restricted duties, the Met said. The five newly accused have not been arrested and do not “work in a close protection role”, the force added.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2024