On October 28, 2025, the Metropolitan Police Service found itself once again at the center of controversy as Sergeant Clayton Robinson, a custody sergeant at Charing Cross police station, was dismissed for gross misconduct. Robinson’s sacking marks the fifth such dismissal at the station in the wake of a damning BBC Panorama investigation that secretly filmed officers trivializing and mocking serious allegations, including rape.
The undercover BBC Panorama footage, first broadcast on October 1, captured Robinson making light of a rape allegation brought by a woman who said she awoke without her trousers and could not remember taking them off. In the footage, Robinson was heard saying, “I’ve got to be honest, I’ve gone to bed before and can’t remember taking my trousers off.” According to BBC, this comment was made in response to another officer’s recounting of the woman’s statement during a rape investigation.
But it didn’t stop there. The footage also showed Robinson joking about a suspect described as “orange with green hair,” before laughing and launching into a rendition of the Oompa Loompa Song from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The exchanges, aired on national television, quickly drew outrage from the public and calls for accountability within the Metropolitan Police.
At the misconduct hearing, Stephen Morley, representing the Metropolitan Police, was unequivocal in his condemnation. He told the tribunal that Robinson had “trivialised and mocked the complainant’s allegation.” Morley further argued that by “trivialising a serious sexual offence,” Robinson had “failed to treat members of the public with respect and undermined the public’s confidence in the police.” These words echoed the growing frustration many in the community have felt regarding police attitudes toward victims of sexual violence.
The hearing, presided over by Commander Andy Brittain, was presented with unedited footage from the BBC investigation. The evidence was clear and, in the panel’s view, incontrovertible. Commander Brittain stated, “He alone was responsible for the words he used. As the custody sergeant, he should have acted as a role model.” The panel found both allegations against Robinson proven, concluding that “the public cannot have confidence in PS Robinson to protect them and others. This behaviour is not compatible with the role of a police officer.”
Robinson, who had served over 27 years with the force, denied he had breached the Met’s standards of professional behaviour. He accepted that he had made the comments aired in the Panorama film, but insisted, “I was not trivialising the allegation, and I was not mocking the victim.” In his defense, Robinson argued that his comments reflected frustration with what he perceived as inadequacies in the investigation, not hostility toward the complainant. “There was a concern that something has gone a little bit wrong. There are inadequacies in the case. I’m certainly not mocking anybody. I’m trying to get to the bottom of what’s gone on,” he told the panel, according to BBC reporting.
He further explained, “I could just see things were not going the way that I’d expect them to go, I’m getting quite annoyed at things not going as they should.” When pressed on whether his comments were informed by hostility toward women, Robinson replied, “I’m outraged at the suggestion. I’ve been in this job for 27 plus years and I have a very strong conscience and I’m very proud of my integrity.” He became visibly upset during the hearing, adding, “I am absolutely disgusted that I am here being accused of this.”
Despite his protestations, the panel was not swayed. The evidence, they said, was overwhelming. The decision was swift: Robinson was dismissed without notice and, as reported by MyLondon, added to the Barred List held by the College of Policing, preventing him from rejoining the police or being employed by related bodies.
Commander Simon Messinger, head of professionalism at the Met, called Robinson’s behaviour “appalling.” In a statement following the hearing, Messinger said, “It is absolutely right he is dismissed and no longer part of our organisation.” He added that the “incontrovertible evidence has allowed us to rid the Met of these officers who have corrupted the integrity of our organisation at the very earliest opportunity.”
Robinson’s sacking is just the latest in a string of dismissals at Charing Cross police station following the Panorama investigation. Four other officers—PC Jason Sinclair-Birt, Sgt Joe McIlvenny, PC Philip Neilson, and PC Martin Borg—were dismissed the previous week after being filmed engaging in gross misconduct. Their offences ranged from boasting about violence against detainees to making misogynistic and racist remarks, as detailed by BBC and other outlets. For instance, McIlvenny was caught being dismissive about a pregnant woman’s rape and domestic violence allegations, and Neilson was recorded making offensive comments about people from the Middle East, Algeria, and Somalia, including suggesting a detainee should have “a bullet through his head.”
The fallout from the Panorama programme is far from over. According to MyLondon, further accelerated misconduct hearings are scheduled for other officers implicated in the undercover investigation, with dates set for November and beyond. Five more officers are reportedly facing hearings in connection with the Panorama footage, signaling that the Met’s reckoning with its internal culture is ongoing.
The revelations have sent shockwaves through the force and the wider public, reigniting debates about trust, accountability, and the treatment of victims within policing. Charing Cross police station, already under scrutiny for previous scandals, has become a focal point for demands for reform. The BBC’s investigation has been credited with exposing not only individual misconduct but also systemic issues within the station’s culture—a culture that, critics argue, has too often tolerated or even fostered disrespect toward vulnerable members of the public.
The Metropolitan Police has faced mounting pressure in recent years to address misconduct and rebuild public trust, particularly in the wake of high-profile cases involving violence against women and minorities. The swift dismissals following the Panorama investigation have been welcomed by some as a sign of the force’s commitment to change, but others remain skeptical, pointing to the need for deeper, structural reforms.
As the hearings continue and more cases come to light, the Met’s leadership has emphasized its zero-tolerance approach to misconduct. Yet, for many, the true test will be whether the force can move beyond reactive measures and foster a culture of respect, empathy, and accountability from the ground up.
With Robinson and his colleagues now barred from policing, the Metropolitan Police faces a long road ahead in restoring confidence—both within its ranks and among the communities it serves.
