An officer has been warned after tweeting from a police account that “kicking down doors is probably one of our favourite things to do”.

The tweet, which was deleted a short time afterwards, came from the Homerton branch of the Metropolitan Police and showed officers using a battering ram to break down a door.

It continued: “Another warrant conducted on #Victoria ward with the assistance of @MSPHomerton @MPSKingsPark @MPSHackneyWick #knockknock #localpolicing.”

After being contacted about the post, the Metropolitan Police said: “We are aware of an inappropriate tweet sent from the @MPSHomerton twitter account.

“The officer who tweeted this has been given words of advice and the Professional Standards Unit have been made aware. The tweet has now been deleted.”

Social media users were quick to condemn the tweet, with Guardian columnist Owen Jones posting: “Really great tweet to send if you want to sound like a bunch of unhinged gangsters, @MPSHomerton! (And yes, this is real)”

A fellow social media user responded: “As a Homerton resident, I find this now-deleted tweet very disturbing. This is why defunding the police and ring-fencing policing budgets for local services is needed.”

Another complained that the message was “sinister”, adding: “As someone who lives in Homerton it makes me feel terrified.”

It is not the first time a UK police force has been criticised for its use of Twitter.

During lockdown in April, Cambridgeshire Police had to clarify officers were not monitoring what people were buying from supermarkets after its Cambridge account tweeted that police were pleased to see the “non-essential aisles” empty.

After members of the public expressed concern, the force said the message had been “sent with good intentions by an over-exuberant officer”.