Met Police Officer Sacked After BBC Panorama Exposes His Racist Remarks At Workplace

A Metropolitan Police officer, PC Philip Neilson, has been dismissed for gross misconduct aft helium was caught connected camera making racist and convulsive remarks successful a BBC Panorama undercover investigation.

Neilson, who served with the Met for 4 years, was filmed referring to an “invasion” of “scum” from the Middle East and making derogatory comments astir radical from Algeria and Somalia. He besides said a detainee who had overstayed his visa should person a “bullet done his head.”

The proceeding successful south-west London connected Thursday upheld 3 allegations against him, including highly racist and discriminatory remarks, glorifying the “inappropriate usage of force” connected a restrained detainee, and suggesting unlawful unit against migrants.

Delivering judgement, Commander Jason Prins, who chaired the disciplinary panel, said Neilson’s actions caused “significant harm” to the estimation of the Metropolitan Police and nationalist assurance successful policing.

“He unsocial was liable for the comments and it was oregon indispensable person been evident to him his comments were abhorrent,” Cmdr Prins said, describing the officer’s behaviour arsenic an “utter disgrace.”

Neilson did not quality the comments attributed to him successful the BBC footage but argued that they amounted to “just misconduct,” not gross misconduct.

Giving grounds astatine the hearing, helium denied being racist and claimed the undercover newsman had “breached his quality rights” and “egged him on” during the conversations. He told the sheet helium had consumed “eight oregon 9 pints of Guinness” astatine the pub and insisted helium was not a habitual drinker.

“I did not discriminate against anyone,” Neilson said. “Footage from my body-worn camera would amusement that nary substance the ethnicity, I did everything with the utmost respect.”

However, the sheet rejected his defence, ruling that his words and behaviour were wholly incompatible with the values of the constabulary service.

The Metropolitan Police had earlier stated that Neilson “displayed utmost racial, convulsive and discriminatory views,” showing a deficiency of “respect, courtesy, and professionalism.”

Neilson is the archetypal of 10 existent oregon erstwhile Met officers facing accelerated misconduct hearings pursuing the BBC Panorama investigation. The unit confirmed that the proceedings are portion of efforts to code racism and misconduct exposed successful the undercover footage.

Hearings for 2 different officers, PC Martin Borg and PS Joe McIlvenny are besides scheduled. Both look allegations of gross misconduct that could pb to their dismissal.

A Met spokesperson said the unit was seeking the dismissal of each 3 officers “on the grounds their behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and breached nonrecreational standards.”

Neilson was consequently dismissed with immediate effect.