Masked men were officers, but not vandals: police

Masked men were officers, but not vandals: police

Timmy Sung reports

The police have confirmed that several people with their faces covered who were spotted inside Sheung Shui MTR Station after it closed down early last night were indeed police officers – just as many suspected.



But the force has dismissed rumours that the officers had deliberately dressed themselves to look like protesters and that they were vandalising the station.



In one video shared online, a resident says he saw a masked man inside Sheung Shui Station at 11pm, and when he asked who the man was, he wouldn't say and instead shone a torch at the camera.



Another video shows the same masked man pointing a canister of pepper spray at people outside.



Several other people can also be seen inside the station, wearing black clothes.



But being as all MTR stations were closed by 8pm on Tuesday night for repairs to the vandalised network, social media users wanted to know who the people still inside were.



The police put their answer on Facebook on Wednesday, rejecting rumours that officers had been disguised as "rioters" in order to frame protesters for further vandalism.



They were in fact plainclothes officers sent to carry out an investigation at the station after reports of vandalism, the post said.



The police also said that officers will certainly not break the law and they will continue to make use of different methods to combat crime according to operational needs.



The MTR also confirmed that several police officers were sent to the station for what it called an "inspection" in view of public activities nearby.