As the Metropolitan Police scrambles to address a major racism scandal, a Muslim police group has stated that the shocking findings of a BBC documentary have caused “significant anger, hurt, and concern” among Muslim police officers and the wider community.
An undercover TV documentary by the BBC exposed a group of police officers and staff who held disturbing racist, sexist and Islamophobic views where working at one of the UK’s busiest police stations.
Nine officers at Charing Cross police station could be sacked in an investigation into the programme’s allegations of racism, misogyny, excessive force on prisoners and inappropriate behaviour.
In a statement, the Association of Muslim Police (AMP) admitted that the shock revelations has “eroded the trust” the wider Muslim community has with the police.
“First and foremost, we want to acknowledge the fear, pain and frustration this incident has caused. To our Muslim colleagues, we see the hurt this has inflicted, and we stand with you in condemning this bigotry. To the wider Muslim community, we hear your concerns, and we acknowledge that the systemic nature of this incident has eroded the trust you place in us. Your feelings are valid, and we are sorry for the harm this has caused.
“We want to be unequivocally clear: there is no place for racism, Islamophobia or any other forms of hate and discrimination in our police service. The officers involved have been suspended, and a robust, transparent investigation by the IOPC is now underway. We are committed to ensuring that this process is thorough, and that appropriate action is taken.”
Recordings captured by an undercover journalist showed one officer, PC Phil Neilson, while off duty, suggesting an immigrant who had overstayed his visa should be shot.
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He said: “Either put a bullet through his head or deport him. And the ones that shag women, rape women, you do the c*** and let them bleed out.”
While off duty drinking at a pub, PC Neilson also told undercover reporter Rory Bibb that Algerians and Somalians are “scum”, and makes reference to there being an invasion of the UK by migrants.
“I think any foreign person is the worst to deal with,” he said.
“I’ve seen too many Islamics [sic] 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.”
In another exchange, PC Martin Borg bragged about a colleague stamping on a detainee’s leg and laughs about the suspect screaming.
He also appeared to say he offered to fill in a false witness statement about the incident.
PC Borg was also filmed saying that Muslims “hate us” and that “Islam is a problem”.
Backlash and reactions
Following the programmes release on Wednesday evening, a massive backlash has erupted.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has branded the revelations “shocking”, adding that Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley “needs to be very robust in his response.”
Sir Mark has quickly issued an apology for the “reprehensible and completely unacceptable” behaviour. Within 48 hours of receiving the allegations, nine officers and one designated detention officer, who is a civilian member of staff, were suspended.
They are under investigation for gross misconduct by watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct. One constable is facing a criminal investigation for allegedly perverting the course of justice.
Sir Mark said where there is “incontrovertible evidence of racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim sentiment or bragging about excessive use of force” he expects them to fast-tracked for disciplinary proceedings where they face “likely dismissal”.
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.”
However, despite the robust response by Met leadership, this is not the first time a major racism scandal has hit the London police.
The most recent major racism scandal before this current Panorama one was the 2023 “Louise Casey report” which found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.
Another earlier but also widely reported case was the “Child Q” strip‑search case in 2022, where a 15‑year‑old Black schoolgirl was searched without an adult present, and an independent safeguarding report concluded that racism was likely a factor.
