The head of London’s Metropolitan Police, Commissioner Mark Rowley, has issued an apology for “appalling, criminal” behaviour by officers exposed in a BBC undercover investigation.
Ahead of the broadcast of BBC’s Panorama documentary, Rowley described the conduct as “reprehensible and completely unacceptable,” confirming that nine officers and a staff member had already been suspended, while two others were removed from frontline duty. He added he was “truly sorry” for what he called a “toxic legacy.”
BBC reporter Rory Bibb spent seven months undercover as a detention officer at Charing Cross police station, secretly recording officers making racist, misogynistic, and Islamophobic remarks. Officers were heard saying immigrants should be shot, describing migrants from Algeria and Somalia as “scum,” and boasting about sexual exploits.
The Met has faced intense scrutiny in recent years following multiple scandals, including the 2021 rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer. A review has already branded the force “institutionally racist, sexist, and homophobic.”
Rowley acknowledged systemic and leadership failings but stressed the Met is undergoing the “biggest corruption clear-out in British policing history,” noting that nearly 1,500 officers and staff had been dismissed in the last three years. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said urgent reforms are underway, while Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the revelations “sickening” and welcomed a watchdog probe.
What you should know
The BBC’s undercover report has once again spotlighted deep-rooted cultural problems in the Metropolitan Police, with disturbing footage of racist and misogynistic behaviour.
Commissioner Rowley has promised sweeping reforms, but the revelations risk further eroding public trust in Britain’s largest police force.
