Bianca Williams offered apology by Met Police

The 26-year-old European and Commonwealth relay gold medallist and Portuguese 400m record holder Ricardo dos Santos, her partner, were stopped in a vehicle in the Maida Vale area.

Linford Christie, who trains both athletes, posted footage online of the couple being forced out of their vehicle with Williams repeating, "My son is in the car."

The couple were handcuffed by police - with their three-month-old son in the car - who then conducted a weapons search that lasted 45 minutes as the couple were returning home from a training session.

The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the police watchdog.

Speaking to a group of MPs at the home affairs select committee, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said that a police representative had apologised to Williams for the distress caused by the incident.

Dick said: “Every time we see a video that is of concern to members of the public, we review them we see if there are any lessons learned.

“My senior officer has said I’m sorry to Miss Williams for the distress it has clearly caused her. If there are lessons to be learned from this we will learn them. I’m looking at handcuffing as a specific issue.

“All of us watching could empathise with somebody who is stopped in a vehicle who has a young child in the back who does not know exactly what is going on and who is subsequently found together with her partner not to be carrying illicit goods,” added Dick.