Nine Met officers at Charing Cross police station suspended over ‘misogyny, discrimination and excessive force’

Two others, including a former Met officer and a serving designated detention officer are also being investigated.

The police watchdog is investigating a series of allegations including misogynistic comments, discriminatory language and using excessive force at the police station which has been subject to similar claims in the past.

The claims being looked at by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) relate to incidents between August 2024 and January this year.

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It is not the first time Charing Cross police station has been at the centre of discrimination claims, after the IOPC uncovered a culture of rape threats, racist abuse and vile jokes about the holocaust among a group of officers at Charing Cross police station in 2022.

At the time, the IOPC said the incidents - which were part of a string of scandals that led to then-Commissioner Cressida Dick to step down - were “not isolated or simply the behaviour of a few bad apples".

The police watchdog said the current inquiry, launched on Friday, follows a mandatory conduct referral from the Met on Thursday involving the behaviour of 11 individuals based at the police station in the centre of the capital.

The officers in question range in rank from police constable to sergeant. Of these, nine serving Met officers have now been suspended.

The watchdog also received a referral from another force about the conduct of a former Met officer based at Charing Cross who has since transferred.

The IOPC said: "The allegations include excessive use of force, making discriminatory and misogynistic comments, and failing to report or challenge inappropriate behaviour, and are alleged to have occurred both on and off duty between August 2024 and January 2025."

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: "These are concerning allegations involving a large number of individuals and we understand there will be public concern, particularly in light of our previous investigation into similar allegations at the same police station.

"We want to reassure the public that we will carry out a robust, independent investigation.

"We understand the Met was alerted to these allegations by a third party and we have written to that party to request that it urgently provides us with information that will be central to our enquiries.

"Our priority at this stage is to secure all of the relevant evidence."

The IOPC said the investigation is in its early stages.

Met Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist has responded to the allegations, saying: “The behaviour as reported is disgraceful and nine officers were suspended within twenty-four hours of the allegations being assessed and another two officers have been removed from frontline duties.

"Rapid steps to secure evidence and protect the public have also been taken. We asked the IOPC to look at this and welcome their decision to take on the investigation."

He added that the force is taking "immediate" steps to dismantle the custody team at the station, the leadership of the custody command and the Westminster leadership team.

"This is an exceptional reset and will ensure high standards," Mr Twist said.

He added: “The Met’s leadership has been very clear that it will not tolerate behaviour that fails to meet the organisation’s standards of professionalism and integrity.

"We have already taken immediate action and this will continue over the coming days as we assess the full implications.

“The Met has been steadily regaining the trust of Londoners, but we are under no illusions about the continued challenge we face. We will be relentless, leaving no stone unturned, in removing people who have no place in the Met."