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Nine Charing Cross Officers Suspended as Watchdog Probes Excessive Force and Discriminatory Conduct

The police watchdog opened an inquiry triggered by a Met referral based on BBC undercover material.

Overview

  • The IOPC said it is investigating the conduct of 11 current or former Met officers and one staff member based at Charing Cross police station.
  • The allegations include excessive use of force, discriminatory and misogynistic comments, and failing to challenge wrongdoing, said to have occurred on and off duty between August 2024 and January 2025.
  • The Met suspended nine serving officers within 24 hours, removed two others from frontline duties, conducted searches and device seizures, and is dismantling the station’s custody team with leadership changes.
  • The watchdog confirmed it has written to the third party who alerted the Met to request evidence and has also received a referral from another force about a former Met officer who transferred.
  • The station was previously cited in a 2022 IOPC report for offensive messages by officers, a history the watchdog noted as it pledged a robust, independent investigation.