Security personnel at China’s forthcoming embassy in London have been recorded apparently displaying electroshock weapons that are banned under UK law. Video footage obtained by two news outlets shows a guard at the Royal Mint Court site, located in the City of London, brandishing what appears to be an electric baton during a confrontation with youths near a security gate. The incident reportedly took place on May 16.

Electroshock weapons such as stun batons are prohibited under Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 in the United Kingdom. The footage is the second such case in recent days implicating Chinese embassy security staff. Last week, similar accusations arose after guards at the existing Chinese embassy in Portland Place, Marylebone, were seen apparently wielding stun batons during a protest vigil in July. The protests were held to commemorate Lobga Rangzen, a Tibetan activist who died after self-immolation outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The presence of these weapons has triggered concerns among human rights organizations and local residents. Nearly 20 groups have signed an open letter to the UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, urging the government to exempt the embassy grounds from diplomatic immunity so that a police investigation can proceed unhindered. The letter also questioned how the weapons entered the country, whether in diplomatic baggage or obtained locally, and requested assurances that no other prohibited items are present on embassy premises.

Local residents near the Royal Mint Court site have expressed unease about the development of the new embassy. Some have described their experience as akin to “living in a prison” due to the extensive security measures. These concerns were raised during planning inquiries and later dismissed by the High Court, which ruled that the embassy’s construction could continue despite fears regarding possible security threats or the targeting of dissidents.

Political figures have weighed in on the issue. Alicia Kearns, the Conservative security minister, described the situation as evidence of “an industrial level of illegal action by the Chinese government” and warned that tolerating such conduct could embolden further aggressive behaviour on British soil. Luke de Pulford, founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, called for an urgent inquiry into the extent of illegal weapons held across Chinese premises in the UK and called for those responsible to face prosecution or expulsion if immunity prevents legal action.

The UK Government has emphasized that it will not tolerate actions by foreign states that “coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm individuals on UK soil.” Officials engaged the Chinese embassy regarding the July incident at Portland Place, and the Metropolitan Police continue to investigate the reported use of prohibited weapons, although no arrests have yet been made. The Chinese embassy has been contacted for comment but has not issued a public response.