UK's top police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe forgets anti-terrorism hotline number live on air

'You could argue it's an unmemorable number'

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe revealed that Operation Othona had a projected budget of £7.82m over a three-year period (Getty Images)

The UK's most senior police officer couldn't remember the anti-terrorism hotline number – after being challenged on live radio over the success of an awareness campaign.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe was asked to repeat the freephone number by LBC host Nick Ferrari after a former serviceman called in to say he had not seen it publicised.

Sir Bernard said: “At this second I must admit I haven't got it with me - it's an 0800 number, so it's free ... Every other time I've been in (to the LBC phone-in) I think I have actually mentioned it.

"You could argue it's an unmemorable number."

The commissioner was later informed the hotline number is 0800 789 321.

He added: "It's ascending and descending numbers. It is probably not that easy to remember - as I've just highlighted."