Britain’s biggest police force was reeling tonight after an undercover investigation showed racist officers calling for immigrants to be shot.
In an appalling new race scandal, a group of Scotland Yard officers were also caught on camera dismissing rape victims and revelling in the use of force.
The head of Scotland Yard issued a public apology ahead of a devastating Panorama documentary exposing a cadre of officers behaving in an ‘appalling criminal way’.
Sir Mark Rowley vowed that nine serving officers, one ex-officer and a designated detention officer would be kicked out of the force within weeks if found guilty of gross misconduct on ‘incontrovertible evidence’ of racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim sentiment and bragging about excessive use of force.
In an undercover Panorama programme broadcast tonight officers were caught on camera sharing racist views about Muslims, making sexual comments about women being detained and dismissing rape victims.
BBC Panorama’s undercover reporter, Rory Bibb, spent seven months up to January this year as a designated detention officer in the custody suite of Charing Cross police station in central London where he discovered that far from being driven out of the Met, racist and misogynistic attitudes have been driven underground.
During the filming, one off-duty officer said about immigrants: ‘Either put a bullet through his head or deport him.
‘And the ones that s**g, rape women, you’d do the c*** (with a weapon) and let them bleed out.’
A screengrab from the BBC’s undercover report into Charing Cross Police Station. Pictured: Sgt Joe McIlvenny who described sexual encounters to colleagues
Officers have also been accused of being heavy handed and revelling in the use of force
One police officer described how he loved taking fingerprints by force
He described an ‘invasion’ of migrants, adding: ‘The Somalians are scum. Any foreign person is the worst to deal with.’
Another officer detaining a woman wearing police fancy dress said: ‘Ah awesome. I’ve paid money to go to clubs and see women dressed like this.’
On another occasion, an off-duty officer remarked: ‘Islam is a problem. A serious problem I think. Muslims hate us. They f****** hate us. Proper hate us.’
During the programme one officer described how, if suspects refuse to have their fingerprints taken, he could pull two of their fingers hard to snap the tendons.
‘I love taking fingerprints by force,’ he said.
One constable allegedly offered to make a false statement blaming a suspect for lashing out after he saw another officer on the suspect’s leg.
In the programme, one of the officers was filmed saying Algerians were ‘scum’ and Somalians were ‘f****** ugly’.
He added: ‘I’ve seen too many Islamics committing crimes. Their way of life is not the correct way of life.
‘You do find that the ones that are causing the most crime are Muslim.’
Undercover cameras captured several officers laughing about police brutality and bragging about gratuitous violence they had inflicted on suspects.
In one incident, an officer boasted about tormenting a 17-year-old autistic teenager, pushing on pressure points on his body in a police van.
In an undercover Panorama programme, officers were caught on camera sharing racist views about Muslims, making sexual comments about women being detained and dismissing rape victims
Sir Mark Rowley is pictured speaking to Sky News in July this year
Officers from Charing Cross Station were recorded as part of an undercover investigation . PC Martin Borg called Islam a ‘serious problem’
When the teenager later threw a pillow at officers, he was restrained by up to eight officers and held on the floor for two hours.
One of the accused sergeants was already under investigation at the time of filming for allegedly telling an Asian suspect that she should be in the ‘massage business’.
Former Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Sue Fish told Panorama: ‘I’ve seen enough to say there is a highly toxic culture there of hyper-sexualised male behaviour, misogyny, racism, and gratuitous, unlawful violence.’
She said the Met leadership had never grasped ‘the significance, the scale and impact’ of this culture.
Bosses at Scotland Yard were said to be horrified by the sickening comments which come three years after the previous Commissioner was forced out of her post over a similar scandal at the same police station.
Dame Cressida Dick had to step down in 2022 after a police watchdog report revealed how 19 officers at Charing Cross shared messages about hitting and raping women, the deaths of black babies and the Holocaust.
When the new Commissioner took up the post, Sir Mark promised to clean up the force at one of the most troubled times in its history after a serving officer murdered Sarah Everard and another firearms officer was exposed as a serial rapist.
Tonight, Sir Mark said the Charing Cross custody team had been disbanded and moved elsewhere due to the Panorama allegations.
He said: ‘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.
‘For that, I am truly sorry.
‘In line with our uncompromising approach, within 48 hours of these allegations being received, nine officers and one staff member had been suspended, with two more officers removed from frontline duties.
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is seen outside the 2025 Labour Conference in Liverpool
Scotland Yard was tonight forced to apologise over alleged racist comments by officers
‘It’s my expectation that for those involved, where there is incontrovertible evidence of racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim sentiment or bragging about excessive use of force, they will be put on a fast-track hearing within weeks and on a path to likely dismissal.’
On Tuesday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced that the 11 accused were under investigation for potential gross misconduct, over allegations of use of excessive force, making discriminatory and misogynistic comments, and failing to report or challenge inappropriate behaviour.
One constable was also under criminal investigation accused of perverting the course of justice.
The incidents are said to have occurred while the officers were both on and off-duty between August 2024 and January 2025.
Earlier this month the force said it was using ‘Al Capone’ style tactics to root out wrongdoers and break-up cliques within the ranks.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, backed the Commissioner: ‘I’m disgusted and appalled by the behaviour exposed by the BBC at Charing Cross police station, and I fully support the investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which must leave no stone unturned.
‘Sexism, racism, misogyny and the excessive use of force have 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.
‘A series of urgent changes have been put in place at Charing Cross police station and across the Met with more to follow.
A band of officers at Charing Cross station (pictured) allegedly made anti-Muslim comments and used excessive force against suspects in custody
‘I support the new approach to tackling misconduct set out by the Commissioner. There must be zero tolerance to this kind of behaviour and no hiding place for officers who abuse their position of trust.
‘I can assure Londoners that I will continue to work with the Commissioner and hold him to account to ensure Londoners get the police they deserve.’
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: ‘The disturbing scenes in this footage are sickening. I welcome the Independent Office for Police Conduct 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. I know this is a top priority for the Commissioner.
‘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.’
Paula Dodds, Chair of Metropolitan Police Federation, said: ‘The Federation 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.
‘But all police officers – like all people – have the right to representation and due process… and not trial by media or documentary. Or indeed senior officers or politicians.’
