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An undercover journalist from the BBC worked as a detention officer in Charing Cross custody suite for seven months. Using hidden cameras, the investigation gathered video evidence of racism and misogyny within the Met Police.
WARNING: This article mentions and discusses sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
An extensive investigation by the BBC has found a prevalent underground culture of misogyny and racism in the Met Police.
Rory Bibb, a journalist for BBC’s Panorama programme, was hired at Charing Cross custody suite as a designated detention officer. The facility is one of 22 in the UK’s police force, and was highlighted by whistleblowers as particularly problematic before Rory began his employment.
In 2021, the Met Police faced a huge public backlash after the disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard in South London. An off-duty constable, Wayne Couzens, was charged with raping and killing her before disposing of her body in a pond in Kent.
Serious questions were asked about whether there was a toxic, sexist work culture within the Met Police force, with promises made to fundamentally change how it operates and treats women after an investigation took place.
Now, it seems the BBC has discovered that problems are still prevalent amongst officers but are better hidden to avoid detection from higher ups.
Secret video footage recorded by Rory throughout his seven month employment suggests that officers at the Charing Cross facility harbour sexist and racist views that are discussed privately on a regular basis. The clips include conversations in pubs and in the detention facility, with officers bragging about violence and asking ‘who they can trust’ before sharing offensive views.
In response, the Met has suspended eight officers and one staff member. Two more officers have been removed from front-line duties.
Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner and Chief of the Met Police, described the actions shown in the footage as ‘disgraceful, totally unacceptable and contrary to the values and standards’ of the force. Sue Fish, a temporary Chief Constable of Nottingham Police in 2016, also reviewed the footage. She described it as ‘completely inappropriate’ and ‘very misogynistic.’
What are the details of the video evidence provided by the BBC?
A large portion of the footage shown by the BBC focuses on several long-serving police officers within the force.
Sgt Joe McIlvenny has served nearly 20 years’ and is seen on camera making sexist comments, dismissing rape allegations, and talking at length about his fetishes and acts of self-pleasure. He is also shown advising Rory to keep hushed about police violence when in certain situations around the Charing Cross facility.
Meanwhile, a younger PC, Phil Neilson, can be seen commenting on immigrants and detainees, saying that one man who had overstayed his visa should have ‘a bullet through his head.’ He also jeers that if his views were public he would ‘lose his job.’
Rory later said to the BBC that it took time to gain the trust of officers to be invited out after work.
PC Sharkey is one of the oldest officers in the footage. During a group trip to a pub, he says, ‘if you’re going to go down for sexual assault, you might as well go down for rape.’ Later, he asks, ‘now who can I f***ing trust here?’ An incident is also brought up involving urine before he promptly shuts it down.
Another officer says to Rory that it takes time to trust another person before the ‘mask’ can come off. He explains that officers have to ‘reset’ and determine whether they get on with a new employee, after which they’re able to ‘start speaking facts.’ Rory later told the BBC that everyone is guarded until they’re completely certain of trust.
This suggests that a deep-rooted culture of secrecy remains within the police force that has simply been buried rather than eliminated.
PC Martin Borg, an officer of five years, says to Rory that he joined the police to ‘nick people and get into scraps.’ When asked if he likes fighting, Martin responds ‘100%, I’m a Bermondsey lad mate, like you.’
Use of violence by Sgt Joe later in the BBC programme is kept as quiet as possible, with Rory told to be careful about when and where he speaks about actions taken by police. Officer PC Borg, a younger person on the force, brags about his violent encounters with detainees to Rory at a pub.
