Armed Met Police officer shoots himself in the foot in west London

Police officer discharged weapon after leaving 'welfare check' at Old Oak Common

The policeman was taken to a central London hospital (Getty)

A Metropolitan police officer has been hospitalised after shooting himself in the foot.

Firearms officers attended what the Met described as a “welfare check” at an address in Old Oak Common in west London just after 4am on Thursday.

According to the Met, “after completing the call and leaving the address, a police firearm was discharged by one of the officers causing an injury to his foot.”

A police spokesman told The Independent armed officers had been sent because the force had “previous intelligence linking firearms to the address”.

The policeman was taken to a central London hospital for treatment and his condition is not life threatening, the Met said in a statement.

“There were no other injuries and no other shots fired,” the statement added.

The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed about the incident and “enquiries continue”, the force said.