London police station shut after man dies in reception area

No details of the circumstances surrounding the man’s death has been released

Officers create a tent outside the station (Hackney Cop Watch)

A man has died in the front reception of Stoke Newington police station in north London.

Hackney Police announced that the station would be shut after a man died in the “front office area” shortly before 7pm on Saturday.

Officers are not treating the death as suspicious but no further information has been released regarding the circumstances surrounding the man’s death in the station, particularly whether he was in custody.

Police cordoned off the area and set up large screens as an investigation was carried out.

A police van is covered within a cordon outside the station (Hackney Cop Watch)

Activist group Tottenham Copwatch posted online that they had been told by Metropolitan police press officers that “someone just walked in and died.”

Social media videos outside of the station show officers telling bystanders that the man had a “medical condition” and was not in custody, but no formal statement of the circumstances has been released yet.

Protesters have already been seen outside of the station with placards reading: “1,839 deaths in police custody since 1990. No justice no peace,” while another sign read “You can’t reform this.”

Pictures circulating online show multiple levels of the police station cordoned off with blue tape.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Stoke Newington police station is currently closed after a man died in the front office area shortly before 7pm on Sat 5 Nov.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious.

“The nearest police station with a 24-hour front counter facility is Islington.”