By Ben Kerrigan-
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has said he is “disgusted and appalled” by footage of some Metropolitan Police officers at Charing Cross police station after it was exposed in a BBC Panorama documentary.
Serving Met Officers called for immigrants to be shot, revelled in the use of force and were dismissive of rape claims in footage captured by a Panorama undercover reporter.
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the footage, which also shows officers making sexualised comments to colleagues and sharing racist views about immigrants and Muslims, as “disturbing” and “sickening”.
Sir Mark Rowley, head of the Met Police, has apologised for the “reprehensible and completely unacceptable” behaviour.
After the BBC sent a detailed list of allegations to the Met, it suspended eight officers and one staff member, and took two more officers off front-line duties.
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Sir Sadiq said “sexism, racism, misogyny and the excessive use of force” had “no place in the police”.
“I have met with the commissioner to discuss directly the issues exposed by the BBC – and its impact on public confidence and trust in the police,” he said, before the BBC programme was broadcast.
“A series of urgent changes have been put in place at Charing Cross police station and across the Met, with more to follow.”
The mayor backed Sir Mark, saying he had confidence in the commissioner’s efforts to kick wrongdoers out of the Met.
The home secretary welcomed the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) “fully and urgently investigating all the issues raised in this report”.
“It is right that the Metropolitan Police have condemned this, and we fully support their pledge to root out those unfit to serve the public,” Mahmood added.
“We have given police chiefs the powers to automatically sack officers who fail background checks and dismiss those guilty of gross misconduct, and we expect them to be used.”
Mina Smallman, the mother of two murdered sisters, told the BBC’s Newsnight she was not shocked by the allegations. Two Met Police officers were jailed this year after they shared photos of her daughters’ bodies on WhatsApp.
“When people are comfortable and their guard is down, we get to see what they’re really like,” she said.
Ms Smallman added that the Met was “not going to change overnight”. She said “this behaviour has been there for so long, it’s going to take ages to root out”.
Sir Mark, speaking before he had seen the film’s Wednesday evening broadcast, said that “where there is incontrovertible evidence” of wrongdoing it is likely that accused serving officers would be dismissed within weeks.
“Officers behaving in such appalling, criminal ways, let down our communities and will cause some to question if their sons and daughters are safe in our cells, and whether they would be believed and respected as victims of crime,” he said.
“For that, I am truly sorry.”
The Liberal Democrats called the findings “beyond appalling”.
“The public is being failed, as are the majority of police officers who are doing their best for the people of London,” said the party’s London spokesman, Luke Taylor MP.
“The Home Secretary now has a responsibility to intervene and work with the Met to tackle this behaviour once and for all.”
Paula Dodds, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said it “deplores any discriminatory behaviour in the strongest possible terms – such behaviour has no place in policing or society.
“If officers are proven to be guilty of criminal offences or serious gross misconduct, then we do not want these individuals in the job.”
However, she said “all police officers – like all people – have the right to representation and due process, and not trial by media or documentary”.
Rachel Watson, who leads the IOPC, said she was “appalled by what Panorama has exposed – these behaviours are completely unacceptable and have no place in policing”.
She said an investigation was already under way and hoped the BBC would now share its evidence “to allow our work to progress at pace”.
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Undercover reporting by BBC Panorama revealed deeply embedded cultural rot at Charing Cross police station, exposing officers who used highly offensive language and celebrated discriminatory and violent acts.
The journalist, working as a Designated Detention Officer for over seven months, captured officers using vile anti-Muslim slurs, referring to immigrants as “scum,” and calling for them to be shot.
Furthermore, footage captured officers boasting about excessive force, including claims of pulling detainees’ fingers to snap tendons and discussing falsifying statements to cover up brutality.
Most distressingly, an officer was filmed appearing to dismiss a woman’s rape complaint, which included an allegation that the suspect had kicked her in the stomach while she was pregnant, before releasing the man on bail.
This sickening disregard for victims and the open tolerance for Met Police racism and misogyny has completely shattered public trust.
Immediately after the BBC provided a detailed list of allegations, the Met took decisive action, suspending eight officers and one staff member, while removing two other officers from frontline duties.
The entire custody team at Charing Cross has been disbanded as a direct result of these revelations.
Mina Smallman, the mother of two murdered sisters whose bodies were photographed and shared by two Met officers in 2020, expressed a tragic lack of shock regarding the Panorama findings.
Ms Smallman poignantly observed that officers reveal their true nature “when people are comfortable and their guard is down.” She cautioned that this deep-seated behaviour, having existed for so long, “is not going to change overnight,” suggesting the difficult process will take a long time to root out completely.
Since Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley took office in September 2022, the force has relentlessly pursued wrongdoers, removing nearly 1,500 officers and staff who failed to meet required professional standards.
This aggressive stance has successfully tripled the rate of forced exits, reaching approximately 550 removals in the last year alone.
Commissioner’s Vow and the Need for Judicial Reform
Sir Mark Rowley, head of the Met Police, immediately apologised, describing the captured behaviour as “reprehensible and completely unacceptable.”
He assured the public that where there is “incontrovertible evidence” of racism, misogyny, or criminal use of force, the officers involved would be put on a fast-track hearing and would likely face dismissal within weeks.
The Commissioner acknowledged the severe impact on public confidence, stating, “Officers behaving in such appalling, criminal ways, let down our communities and will cause some to question if their sons and daughters are safe in our cells… For that, I am truly sorry.”
Mayor Sadiq Khan affirmed his full confidence in Sir Mark’s efforts, confirming he had met with the Commissioner to discuss the issues and the “urgent changes” being implemented across the Met.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also condemned the “disturbing and sickening” footage, supporting the Met’s pledge to remove those unfit to serve.
The government has already provided police chiefs with the powers to automatically dismiss officers guilty of gross misconduct.
However, the continued severity of Met Police racism and misogyny compels a serious debate about the adequacy of existing penalties. Should the government implement particularly harsh custodial sentences for police officers found guilty of hate-fueled misconduct or perverting the course of justice?
As public servants vested with unique legal authority, their criminal actions represent a fundamental betrayal of public trust.
Implementing specific, severe judicial punishments—beyond disciplinary dismissal—could establish the necessary deterrent to discourage such profound abuses of power.
The IOPC, led by Rachel Watson, is fully and urgently investigating all issues raised, emphasising its commitment to rapid progress once the BBC shares its evidence.
Interested parties can track the force’s accountability process by reviewing the Metropolitan Police Misconduct Hearings.
