I am very familiar with this event. I don’t think that was the case.
They rang me before take off and asked the closing time at our airfield. I confirmed the time and said they were unlikely to make it.
The pilot then said he would cross directly over London to make it. I did question this at the time.
So it was done to get somewhere before it closed…safe?
The aircraft actually flew a broadly identical route both ways across London between the two airfields concerned.