For a decade now UK police forces have avoided naming criminal suspects prior to charge, abiding by College of Policing guidelines.

Nonetheless the Met Police put out a statement on Monday in response to the Times/Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches investigations into allegations of sexual assaults against comedian Russell Brand.

The College of Policing guidelines state: “Police will not name those arrested or suspected of a crime, other than in exceptional circumstances where there is a legitimate policing purpose to do so.”