The Home Office has defended its decision to carry out stop-and-checks on Tooting's delivery drivers after they received a barrage of backlash online.

Police stopped over 48 mopeds in Tooting on Tuesday (18 May) which led to two arrests for 'immigration offences'.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Tooting MP, tweeted that the operation looked like 'racial profiling' and that it may be 'indirect discrimination due to its disproportionate impact on ethnic minority groups'.

The tweet thread received over 3000 retweets.

The MP added: "I don't think there's been full transparency with the public about the reasons for conducting such an operation - and I certainly disagree with police time being used to prop-up the Home Office's hostile environment policies."

It is two understood that the two people arrested for immigration offences were of Indian and Moroccan nationality.

A Home Office spokesperson told The Evening Standard : "It is completely false to claim that any immigration activity is conducted under false pretenses. All operational activity is intelligence-led.

"The operation in Tooting was conducted in relation to suspected immigration offences and two individuals were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.

"The Government continues to tackle illegal migration in all its forms and our New Plan for Immigration will speed up the removal of those who have entered the UK illegally."

The Roads & Transport MPS have since released a further statement on their operation, they said: "Officers carried out a road safety policing operation in Tooting yesterday.

"This was in response to community concerns about the dangerous and anti-social driving of mopeds in the area, not a Covid compliance operation.

"Motorcyclists were stopped to check licences, insurance documents and the roadworthiness of vehicles. Road safety advice was also given.

"Immigration enforcement officers were at the location carrying out their own operation."

Some people have 'called out' the police seeming to 'back track' on their original statement after they first confirmed it was an operation alongside immigration enforcement.

The police and Dr Rosena Allin-Khan have been contacted for comment.