Scotland Yard: Ex-officer fired for racist chats

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Scotland Yard (symbol photo)

Photo: Kirsty O'connor / dpa

The crisis-plagued London Metropolitan Police have again been shaken by a scandal.

A former police officer who went on to work as a border guard at the Home Office has been sacked for allegedly sharing racist messages on WhatsApp groups, the BBC reported on Thursday.

The incidents came to light through research by the BBC's Newsnight programme.

Racist jokes about flood disaster in Pakistan

The Home Office called the news "vile and pathetic" and said it had a zero-tolerance policy on cases of racism and discrimination.

A member of the workforce was immediately dismissed after the allegations became known.

According to the report, the accused is said to have founded the WhatsApp group, in which other former and current Scotland Yard police officers were also members, and shared racist jokes about the flood disaster in Pakistan.

The British government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is said to have been an issue, as was Prince Harry and his wife Meghan.

According to the BBC, several members are said to have been part of a police unit that secures Parliament and is responsible for protecting members of the government.

Scotland Yard under new management

It is not the first scandal of this kind in the London police: cases of discrimination and racism have come to light again and again in recent years, but also other scandals.

The low point for Scotland Yard was the murder of Londoner Sarah Everard by a police officer.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard has a new leadership: The new boss, Mark Rowley, promised extensive reforms and announced that he wanted to restore confidence in the police.

swe/dpa