Boris row: Neighbour heard ‘loud scream’

The neighbour who recorded the late-night “screaming row” between would-be British PM Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds says he called police because he feared for the safety of the people inside the luxury flat. 

Tom Penn recorded the incident on the early hours of Friday morning and called 999, said he phoned emergency services after he heard “a loud scream and banging, followed by silence”.

Mr Penn, who unlike Leave campaign chief Mr Johnson voted to remain in the EU Referendum in 2016, insisted that leaking the recording to The Guardian was in the “public interest”, The Sun reports.

In the recording, Mr Johnson, can allegedly be heard refusing to leave the flat in London’s Camberwell and telling Ms Symons to “get off my f***ing laptop” before a loud crash is heard.

Ms Symonds, 31, was reported to have been heard telling Mr Johnson - UK bookies’ favourite to replace Theresa May as prime minister - to “get off me” and “get out of my flat”.

Police confirmed they attended the home after neighbours reported concerns “for the welfare of a female neighbour”. They said no offences had been committed.

Ms Symonds then reportedly told him he had ruined a sofa with red wine and added: “You just don’t care for anything because you’re spoiled. You have no care for money or anything.”

Mr Penn released a statement where he said he called police after hearing shouting from Ms Symonds’ flat.

He had been on the phone to a takeaway delivery driver at the time as he went downstairs to collect the food.

Mr Penn said of the shouting: “It was loud enough and angry enough that I felt frightened and concerned for the welfare of those involved, so I went inside my own home, closed the door, and pressed record on the voice memos app on my phone.

“After a loud scream and banging, followed by silence, I ran upstairs, and with my wife agreed that we should check on our neighbours.”

He said he knocked three times on the door but got no reply and then decided to call the police who arrived soon afterwards.

“To be clear, the recordings were of the noise within my own home. My sole concern up until this point was the welfare and safety of our neighbours. I hope that anybody would have done the same thing.

Mr Penn said he went to the Guardian because he felt “it was of important public interest”.

He continued: ‘I believe it is reasonable for someone who is likely to become our next prime minister to be held accountable for all of their words, actions, and behaviours.’

Following the incident, Mr Johnson avoided questions about the row five times in an awkward grilling on the leadership campaign trail, The Sun reports.

When he did finally comment at a public campaign event, he said: “I think what people have come here for today - the seductive interviewer though you are - I don’t think they want to hear about that kind of thing, unless I’m wrong.

“I think what they want to hear is my plans for this party and this country.”

The spat between Mr Johnson, 55, and Ms Symonds - former communications director for the Conservative Party - led to senior Tories voicing concerns that Mr Johnson had ruined his chances of winning the race against Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to take over the top job from Theresa May.

After news of the row broke, odds on Mr Hunt winning the job were slashed by half - coming in to 4-1 from 8-1. But Mr Johnson remains odds-on favourite at 1-7, although his odds had drifted from 1-14 following the row reports.

One senior MP close to Mr Johnson commented to The Sun: “What the hell is he thinking? This is our worst nightmare”.

Mr Johnson’s opponent Jeremy Hunt refused to comment.

But a supporter of Mr Hunt backer told The Sun: “If this is as bad as it first looks, this could be the shortest Tory leadership contest ever.”

Scotland Yard said lthe pair were “safe and well” and no offences had been committed.

A spokesman said: “At 12.24am, police responded to a call from a resident in the SE5 area of Camberwell. The caller was concerned for the welfare of a female neighbour.

“Police attended and spoke to all occupants of the address who were all safe and well.

“There were no offences or concerns apparent to the officers and there was no cause for police action.”

This story originally appeared in The Sun and is reprinted here with permission.