November 2, 2007: Met Officer Resigns After Complaint

A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer has been required to resign and another fined 13 days pay and reprimanded over an incident in which a man was racially abused at a South London police station. An MPS Assistant Commissioner made the decision, following a fresh review of the disciplinary outcome originally decided upon by a misconduct panel on 20 October 2006.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission's challenge by way of judicial review in the Administrative Court was successful. Mr Justice Wyn Williams quashed a previous MPS decision which overturned the findings of the October misconduct panel. The IPCC managed the investigation into the incident, which occurred at Plumstead police station in July 2005, after the complainant was arrested.

Following the investigation, a Metropolitan Police misconduct panel required PC Wayne Bell to resign for three breaches of the Police Code of Conduct. The officer was found to have breached the code on politeness and tolerance for referring to the complainant in a racist way, and bringing the Metropolitan Police into discredit.

A second officer was required to resign for failing to oppose the behaviour and also failing to report it. He was also found to have fallen below the appropriate standard of honesty and integrity in giving a statement which falsely stated that he did not see or hear the offending behaviour.

The two officers requested a review by an Assistant Commissioner. The outcome of the review was a reduction in PC Bell’s penalty to a fine and none of the charges against PC Wakeling were proved. A challenge by the Independent Police Complaints Commission to quash the review was last month upheld by the High Court, giving the officers the option of accepting the finding of the original misconduct panel or applying for a fresh assistant commissioner’s review.

A fresh Assistant Commissioner’s review has now taken place. The findings against PC Bell were upheld and PC Wakeling was reprimanded and fined the maximum of 13 days pay.

IPCC Commissioner Mehmuda Mian Pritchard said:

" We welcome the decision. There is no place for racism in the police service. The Police Service has clearly taken on board the seriousness of the case and imposed an appropriate penalty.”

The 16 Commissioners who run the IPCC guarantee its independence and by law can never have served as police officers. No Commissioner has worked for HM Revenue and Customs. They are supported by more than more than 200 independent IPCC investigators, casework managers and other specialists.

Since April 1 2004 the IPCC has used its powers to begin 171 independent and 533 managed investigations into the most serious complaints against the police. It has set new standards for police forces to improve the way the public's complaints are handled. The Commission also handles appeals by the public about the way their complaint was dealt with by the local force.