Home Filming in London London Filming Partnership Metropolitan Police Service Film Unit (MPSFU)

 

Metropolitan Police Service Film Unit (MPSFU)

The Metropolitan Police Service Film Unit (MPSFU) provides a single point of contact and an integrated, streamlined service for filming requests requiring police assistance across the capital. The key responsibilities of the Film Unit are to:

  • Liaise across all police departments of the Metropolitan Police Service
  • Provide general advice to film-makers on police procedure
  • Co-ordinate police involvement for particularly complicated shoots or productions requiring police assistance across several boroughs
  • Lead on police policy for legislative changes affecting filming in London
  • Develop a consistent charging policy across the whole of the Metropolitan Police Service

Police presence is currently required for any filming where:

  • There are likely to be traffic control or public safety issues
  • Crime enactments are viewable from a public place
  • The film shoot involves uses pseudo liveried emergency vehicles or actors in police or contemporary military uniform
  • Nudity or perceived nudity viewable from a public place
  • Weapons are used and viewable or could potentially be viewable from a public place. This includes replica or prop weapons.

The cost of policing a film shoot is met by the production company. Police presence on a film shoot does not divert resources away from core police operations. 

Where filming/photography is taking place across a borough or boroughs, without specific times or locations and your shoot falls outside of the Metropolitan Police presence criteria, please contact the filmunit@met.police.uk in order that your information is disseminated to the relevant people. Where you are informing the Metropolitan Police of  filming/photography with less than 1 days notice, contact the borough police station in addition to giving all the relevant information to assist in preventing police interventions.

The impact of failing to inform relevant authorities could result in unnecessary police resources being deployed and disruption to the community and to your filming. This is particularly important when you are filming in Westminster and Lambeth boroughs and in the City of London, or in any other location that may have iconic, religious or government importance.

The key contacts at the MPSFU is PC Alan Cousins. The best way to contact the Unit is by email: filmunit@met.police.uk or you can leave a message on 020 7161 1099.

For any enquiries relating to news crews or any factual/documentary filming about the police service, please contact The Metropolitan Police Press Office on 020 7230 2171.

Find out more about the MPSFU.