Sadiq Khan is reportedly the third most guarded person in the UK, here's why he needs so much security

Sadiq Khan has recently revealed some details about his health.

It emerged that the Mayor of London suffered a suspected heart attack during the climate summit in Glasgow in 2021.

He also admitted that he was struggling with mental health issues, in particular, PTSD, caused by the aftermath of dealing with disasters and terror attacks in London and also death threats.

Being a Muslim mayor of one of the most cosmopolitan and diverse cities in the world means that Sadiq Khan faces hatred from both the far right who believe that he shouldn’t be in this role and the Islamic extremists who consider his politics and way of living too westernised.

It comes as no surprise that Sadiq Khan needs an extra level of protection but the extent of it is truly shocking. According to Daily Star, he is the third most guarded person in the UK after the Prime Minister and the monarch, now Rishi Sunak and King Charles.

How much security does Sadiq Khan have?

While Prince Harry and Meghan Marklefruitlessly fight for the right to buy police protection in the UK, Sadiq Khan has over a dozen policemen follow him at any time to guarantee his safety.

It has been revealed that 15 heavily armed officers are on duty around him at any one time, and they include trained marksmen and professionals skilled in emergency medical procedures.

The number of protection officers who provide 24-hour protection to King Charles and the royal family is not made public for security reasons, but it is known to be bigger than Sadiq Khan’s entourage.

The royal guards are both men and women trained in unarmed combat, advanced driving, emergency first aid, as well as being able to read people's body language in a crowd to identify potential threats.

It was reported that security measures around Rishi Sunak have recently been ramped up too, with a video posted on Twitter showing more than 30 police officers either cycling or running in front, alongside or behind his car in central London in April this year.

Read more:

⋙ Sadiq Khan: How is the Mayor of London's health after his suspected heart attack in 2021?

⋙ Sadiq Khan has a six-figure-salary, here's how much he gets paid for being the Mayor of London

Why does Sadiq Khan need so much security?

Sadiq Khan, who already confirmed his bid to run for Mayor of London for the third time next year, admitted that continuous death threats from both the far right and the Muslim extremists led to him developing mental health issues, in particular, PTSD.

He detailed that being the first Muslim mayor of London and supporting Western values such as same-sex marriages while practising Islam meant that he was getting hatred from different sides.

Sadiq Khan also revealed that his infamous Twitter interactions with Donald Trump which saw former US President publicly insult the Mayor of London increased the amount of death threats towards him from around the world.

He added:

Then there are people who follow Daesh (Islamic State) and al-Qaeda who think you can't be a Muslim and a Westerner, I get it from both sides in relation to the death threats.

Sadiq Khan said that he initially refused police protection in order to 'live a normal life' and to save public funds but had to reconsider, following the City Hall bomb threats and racial abuse so grave his staff had to be offered counselling.

He said:

The game changer for me was when the police spoke to my chief of staff and my wife to try and persuade me to accept, and the point they made was I may reject it, but do I realise that because of me, those who are with me may be at risk?

Find out how much Sadiq Khan is paid to do his dangerous job as a Mayor of London.

Read more:

⋙ Rishi Sunak hasn't always been a millionaire, these are the jobs he did before entering politics

⋙ Boris Johnson's wife announces third baby: How many children does the former PM have?

Sources used:

- The Guardian: 'Sadiq Khan’s 24/7 security challenges our notions of non-racist London'

- Daily Record: 'Mayor of London is third most heavily guarded person in UK - how far have we really come?'

- Evening Standard: 'Sadiq Khan needs 24/7 protection ‘due to colour of his skin and god he worships’'

- Daily Star: 'King Charles' insane security detail including armed bodyguards and 24-hour police cover'