Two Met police officers sacked over ‘highly offensive and discriminatory’ messages about Katie Price’s son

Two serving Metropolitan Police officers have been sacked over offensive messages they shared in a WhatsApp group.

The “highly offensive and discriminatory” messages include some that made fun of Katie Price’s disabled son, Harvey.

A gross misconduct hearing on Friday found that another six former officers would also have been dismissed without notice had they still been serving.

All eight officers had allegations of gross misconduct proven against them for taking part in a WhatsApp group active between May 2016 and June 2018.

The hearing found that PC Glynn Rees and PC Dave Selway breached the police standards of professional behaviour in relation to equality and diversity; authority, respect and courtesy; challenging and reporting improper conduct and discreditable conduct.

Both were dismissed without notice.

Former Sergeant Luke Allen, former PC Kelsey Buchan, former PC Lee South, former PC Darren Jenner and former PC Carlo Francisco were found to have breached the same standards and would have been dismissed had they still been serving officers.

Former Sergeant Luke Thomas was found to have breached the same standards as well as breaching standards relating to duties and responsibilities. He would have been dismissed.

All the officers were attached to Bexley Neighbourhood Tasking Team at the time the group was set up, apart from former PC Francisco who was attached to the East Area Safer Neighbourhood Team.

An investigation into the WhatsApp messages was launched in March 2021.

More than 6,000 messages had been sent in just under two years. Many of these included highly offensive comments about a number of communities and individuals, including colleagues.

The officers were served with misconduct notices in April 2021 and placed on restricted duties immediately afterwards. Five of them resigned before the hearing and one had already been dismissed for an unrelated matter.

Commander Jon Savell, Professionalism, said: “I was repulsed and ashamed to read the deeply offensive messages sent by these officers and I utterly condemn their behaviour.

“I am deeply sorry to those who have been the subject of such awful disgusting messages.

“This is another painful day for us. We know there are more uncomfortable days to come as we turn over the stones and uncover others who corrupt our integrity.”

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The messages shared by the two serving police officers and six former officers in this WhatsApp group were vile and fell far below normal standards of common decency, let alone the high standards the public rightly expects from those who serve London’s diverse communities.

“I welcome the ruling today, which sends a signal that there is absolutely no place for racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, bullying, harassment or any form of discrimination in the Met Police. Our police service needs to be anti-racist, anti-misogynistic and anti-homophobic.”