On October 2, 2025, a serving Metropolitan Police sergeant attached to the Central West Basic Command Unit was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, following an undercover BBC Panorama investigation that sent shockwaves through the UK's largest police force. The arrest, confirmed publicly on October 4, came after secret footage captured at Charing Cross police station in London revealed officers making deeply troubling racist and sexist comments, and even bragging about violence against suspects.
The BBC Panorama exposé, which involved undercover reporter Rory Bibb spending seven months as a civilian custody officer, laid bare a culture that many hoped had been left in the past. According to the BBC, the footage showed one officer, PC Phil Neilson, referring to immigrants who had overstayed their visas and saying, "Either put a bullet through his head or deport him." Neilson didn’t stop there. He was also recorded, while off-duty at a pub, calling Algerians and Somalians "scum," and making references to an "invasion" of migrants in the UK. The casualness of these remarks—over drinks, in the company of colleagues—was as shocking as their content.
Another officer, PC Martin Borg, was filmed boasting about a colleague stamping on a detainee’s leg and laughing about the suspect’s screams. He even appeared to offer to fill in a false witness statement about the incident. Such revelations have prompted a whirlwind of investigations and disciplinary actions. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the arrested sergeant has been suspended from duty and bailed, with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launching a separate, independent investigation into the allegations at Charing Cross.
In total, nine serving officers, one former officer, and a civilian detention officer are now under investigation for gross misconduct. The allegations range from excessive use of force to making discriminatory and misogynistic comments, and failing to report or challenge inappropriate behavior. One constable, in addition to the arrested sergeant, faces a criminal investigation for allegedly perverting the course of justice.
The response from the Metropolitan Police has been swift and, at least in public statements, uncompromising. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine told the press, "We have been extremely clear we will be unrelenting in our approach to tackling issues at Charing Cross, and anywhere else across the Met. This fresh matter came to light through our internal reporting mechanisms and we continue to encourage and support all our officers and staff to report allegations of criminal and conduct behaviour so we can act swiftly. Professional standards officers immediately acted to make the arrest and the officer has been suspended from duty. We will not hesitate to take rapid action around any further allegations, as part of our deeper probe into corruption and ridding the Met of those who are not fit to serve the people of London."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, reacting to the Panorama documentary, said, "I’ve not yet seen the footage, but I’ve had it described to me, and it’s shocking, and I’m glad the commissioner is responding. He needs to be very robust in his response." Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley echoed this sentiment, expressing his horror at the documentary’s findings but assuring the public that the "vast majority" of officers can be trusted.
What’s perhaps most disturbing is how familiar these scenes feel to those who have observed British policing over the years. In a retrospective published by The Sunday Times on October 4, 2025, award-winning BBC Scotland correspondent Mark Daly reflected on his own undercover experience with Greater Manchester Police in 2003. Daly recounted similar patterns of racism, misogyny, and excessive force—this time among rookie officers at a police training college. He described a colleague, Rob Pulling, who openly expressed hatred for Asian people, fantasized about violence, and even mimicked a Ku Klux Klansman. Daly’s investigation back then led to the dismissal of officers, closure of the Bruche police training college, and over 125 recommendations for change following an inquiry by the Commission for Racial Equality.
Daly drew direct parallels between the 2003 investigation and the 2025 Panorama exposé, noting, "Some of the worst offenders are young men, no more than a few years into the job, openly displaying casual racism." He recalled that, back in 2003, recruits arrived "already armed with racist beliefs," challenging the assumption that such attitudes were confined to older, more entrenched officers. The culture, he wrote, was "laddish and drink-fuelled," with an "us and them" mentality that fostered exclusion and bullying, especially for recruits from minority backgrounds.
It’s a pattern that seems to repeat every few years. In 1999, the Macpherson Inquiry into the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the Stephen Lawrence murder famously concluded the force was "institutionally racist." More recently, the 2023 Baroness Casey report found the Met to be institutionally racist, homophobic, and misogynistic—a damning indictment that was supposed to be a wake-up call. Yet, as Daly observed, the Panorama documentary suggests that problematic behavior has simply gone underground, rather than being eradicated.
The fallout from the latest revelations has been significant. Eight officers have been suspended, and Met Commissioner Rowley has been firm in his condemnation. The IOPC’s ongoing investigation into Charing Cross is just one of several probes now looking at police culture and conduct across the country. But the questions raised by both the BBC and The Sunday Times remain pressing: Why do individuals with hateful and outdated views continue to join the police? How can the force become a hostile environment for those who bring dishonor to the uniform?
Some officers told Panorama they felt powerless to challenge poor behavior from senior colleagues—a worrying sign for any organization, but especially one tasked with upholding the law. As Daly put it, "Panorama showed us that some PCs felt powerless to challenge the poor behaviour of their senior officers. That won’t have escaped the attention of Rowley." The power and responsibility that come with a police badge, Daly argued, make it all the more crucial that those entrusted with it are held to the highest standards.
Despite the grim headlines, Daly insists that most police officers "do a great job," and that the public values their work. The challenge, as he sees it, is to ensure that the minority who hold or act on hateful beliefs are rooted out before they can cause harm—either to the public or to the reputation of policing itself.
The Metropolitan Police now faces a pivotal moment. With public trust at stake and a long history of failed reforms behind them, the force’s leaders must move beyond words to meaningful action. The investigations now underway will test whether this time, the lessons will finally stick.
