Police probe ‘missed opportunities’ over claims officer ‘ran grooming gang’, says Met chief after LBC investigation
The Commissioner has confirmed the force is “reviewing” whether a Metropolitan Police officer ran a grooming gang that sexually abused girls in care and then covered it up - as revealed in an exclusive LBC investigation.
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Earlier this week LBC revealed the custody sergeant was allowed to retire under investigation.
This morning, Nick Ferrari questioned Sir Mark Rowley about the case, asking if he was aware of the allegations, given that two complaints were made against him sergeant back in 2012 and were elevated to Detective Chief Inspector level.
"I know hundreds of cases. I don't know if I knew about it at the time," Sir Mark replied.
He went on to confirm that the case is now being reviewed.
"Were there any missed opportunities? Is there anything that was flawed in the investigation or was it done completely properly?"
When Ferrari pressed him further, Sir Mark, who was Assistant Commissioner of specialist crime at the time, said he could not recall the specific case.
"We have hundreds of thousands of cases. I literally can't remember."
Ferrari continued: "But if you knew about it, why wasn't it investigated? Why was he allowed to retire? The officer involved allowed to retire prior to an investigation if you knew about the case?"
Sir Mark responded: "I don't know the answer to that question."
When Ferrari asked how that answer would be found, Sir Mark reiterated that the case is being reviewed and that the allegations only recently surfaced.
Ferrari pushed again: "Allegations are made about an officer, a senior officer, being involved in a grooming gang. Don't you drop everything and investigate it instantly?"
Sir Mark said those issues are normally dealt with by professional standards.
"My point is that it was probably dealt with professionally at the time, but we're going to double check that.
"I've got officers pouring through it to double check was it dealt with professionally at the time."
Ferrari asked him again what he can remember of the case.
"I have no recollection of the case," Sir Mark reiterated.
"If you knew about it, why wasn't it investigated?"
— LBC (@LBC) December 12, 2025
As LBC and @thecrimeagents reveal allegations that a former Met officer was part of a grooming gang, @NickFerrariLBC puts it to Sir Mark Rowley. pic.twitter.com/TaSSOnTZLD
Two women who grew up in care homes in London made complaints about the officer within months of each other in 2012. But, LBC is unable to name him for legal reasons.
The Met launched a criminal investigation at the time into the allegations made by one of the complainants.
She said the officer had abused her multiple times as a child and shared her with other “important men” at a hotel in Park Lane in central London. LBC understands the other men included an MP and a judge.
LBC can reveal the officer was allowed to retire as a Custody Sergeant while under investigation.
In 2012, officers under criminal investigation could only retire with permission from a senior officer.
A second allegation was made by a different woman, also in 2012, when she was arrested for a minor offence and saw the officer behind the desk of a custody suite in west London. She told a detective that the custody sergeant had abused her as a child.
An ex senior detective at the force, who had knowledge of the case and whose job it was to investigate sexual abuse and grooming cases, told LBC that the Met didn’t investigate properly and that it was “brushed under the carpet” and “a cover up”.
