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Nine Scotland Yard officers have been suspended after an investigation was launched into claims of excessive use of force and the making of discriminatory and misogynistic comments.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the allegations centre on Charing Cross police station in central London, the source of a previous scandal for the Metropolitan police.
The new investigation concerns 11 current or former Met officers and one staff member based at the station. They include nine serving officers, a former officer and a serving detention officer who is a member of police staff.
The officers’ ranks ranged from police constable to sergeant, the police watchdog said. The IOPC said: “The allegations include excessive use of force, making discriminatory and misogynistic comments, and failing to report or challenge inappropriate behaviour, and are alleged to have occurred both on and off duty between August 2024 and January 2025.”
The claims of excessive use of force involve alleged actions while on duty. So far the allegations are not thought to centre on WhatsApp groups. The Met said the allegations, if true, amounted to “criminality and misconduct” and would be “disgraceful”.
The force added that it was taking immediate and assertive action, including dismantling the current custody team at Charing Cross station and “significantly changing the leadership in our custody command and the Westminster [borough] leadership team”.
An IOPC report in 2022 revealed graphic details of officers sharing messages about hitting and raping women, the deaths of black babies and the Holocaust. At the time the officers were based mainly at Charing Cross, with the offending behaviour of 19 individuals taking place between 2016 and 2018.
The Met’s handling of the scandal, with one officer being promoted, contributed to the ousting of the former Met commissioner Cressida Dick. Her successor, Mark Rowley, has vowed to transform the culture of Britain’s biggest police force.
The new allegations, which follow an undercover investigation by BBC News, are a further embarrassment to the Met leadership. The rapid suspensions led the force to refer the case to the IOPC. As yet neither the Met nor IOPC has the evidence containing the allegations in their possession.
The IOPC said it had also received a referral from another force about the conduct of an officer who was previously based at Charing Cross and had since transferred out of the Met.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, who, along with the home secretary, has oversight of the Met, said he was “appalled” by the claims. His spokesperson said: “Sexism, racism and misogyny must have no place in the police, and [Khan] has spoken to the commissioner directly today about this matter.
“The mayor has been consistent that there must be zero tolerance of this kind of behaviour, and there can be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust. The mayor will continue to work with and hold the commissioner to account to ensure Londoners get the police service they deserve.”
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The Met assistant commissioner, Matt Twist, said: “The behaviour as reported is disgraceful and nine officers were suspended within 24 hours of the allegations being assessed and another two officers have been removed from frontline duties.
“We are scrutinising more widely the leadership and culture within these teams, led by professional standards and senior leaders, to root out any further failings. The leadership of these teams failed to create the right culture that identified warning signs or generated confidence in junior colleagues to report. This is one of the reasons we are taking such assertive exceptional action.”
Twist added: “The Met’s leadership has been very clear that it will not tolerate behaviour that fails to meet the organisation’s standards of professionalism and integrity. “We have already taken immediate action and this will continue over the coming days as we assess the full implications.”
The IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “These are concerning allegations involving a large number of individuals and we understand there will be public concern, particularly in light of our previous investigation into similar allegations at the same police station.
“We want to reassure the public that we will carry out a robust, independent investigation.”
