Gross misconduct: Met Police sacks officers over BBC investigation

National Press Corporation(NPC)
United Kingdom

Two Metropolitan Police officers have been dismissed for gross misconduct after being exposed in a BBC Panorama undercover investigation.

PC Philip Neilson and PC Martin Borg were found guilty of making racist, violent, and discriminatory remarks, with the misconduct panel describing their behaviour as “an utter disgrace.”

Neilson was recorded referring to migrants as “scum” and suggesting a detainee “should have a bullet through his head.” Borg was secretly filmed laughing about an officer stomping on a suspect’s leg and making anti-Muslim comments.

Both officers denied being racist and claimed the undercover reporter had provoked their remarks, but the panel ruled that their conduct severely damaged public trust in the Metropolitan Police.

Chair Cdr Jason Prins said the officers’ comments “caused significant harm to the reputation of the Met and confidence in policing more generally.”

They are the first two of 10 current or former officers to face accelerated misconduct hearings following the Panorama footage.

(Source: bbc.com)