A man has been charged with trying to prevent a police officer from carrying out a stop and search at a shopping centre in Romford.

Dean Towley, from Saw Mill Way, Hackney, has been charged with obstructing a police officer at the Liberty Shopping Centre yesterday afternoon (August 8).

Police patrolling the centre were alerted to a group of shoppers in relation to shoplifting at around 3pm.

After officers detained Towley for a search, the 28-year-old allegedly obstructed the stop and search procedure.

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A woman was also stopped and searched at the same time, police said.

Social media users posted they had also noticed what appear to be metal detectors at the centre yesterday afternoon, outside Waterstones.

A spokesperson for the Liberty Shopping Centre said: "We are fully supporting the police with their investigations and the centre is operating as usual."