Six former Metropolitan Police officers are facing charges for sending racist messages on WhatsApp following an investigation by BBC Newsnight.
These officers had served in various departments of the police force, with each having spent time in the Diplomatic Protection Group, which is now known as the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.
It's important to note that they were not active officers during the period when these messages were allegedly sent.
However, it's believed that serving officers were part of the same WhatsApp group until early 2022.
In an official statement, the Metropolitan Police (Met) stated: "The charges follow an investigation by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards which was launched following coverage by the BBC's Newsnight programme in October last year."
The Met disclosed that the officers, who retired between 2001 and 2015, have been charged through postal communication under Section 127(1) (a) of the Communications Act 2003.
They are set to appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 7th.
The former officers facing charges are as follows:
Peter Booth, 66, of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, facing four charges of sending grossly offensive racist messages through public communication.
Robert Lewis, 62, of Camberley, Surrey, facing eight charges of sending grossly offensive racist messages through public communication.
Anthony Elsom, 67, of Bournemouth, Dorset, facing three charges of sending grossly offensive racist messages through public communication.
Alan Hall, 65, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, facing three charges of sending grossly offensive racist messages through public communication.
Michael Chadwell, 62, of Liss, Hampshire, facing one charge of sending grossly offensive racist messages through public communication.
Trevor Lewton, 65, of Swansea, facing one charge of sending grossly offensive racist messages through public communication.
Last year, Newsnight received numerous messages from a member of the WhatsApp group, which contained offensive content.
Due to the presence of strong racial slurs, the BBC chose not to reproduce the messages.
Some of these messages made references to the government's Rwanda policy, while others made inappropriate jokes about the tragic flooding in Pakistan that claimed nearly 1,700 lives.
Furthermore, these messages included offensive language alongside images of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Commander James Harman, who leads the Met's Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, commented: "As soon as we were made aware of these allegations, we acted to launch an investigation. I am pleased that following the determined work of officers we have been able to secure these charges."
He added, "The honest majority of Met officers are fully behind this work. They are tired of being let down by a minority in policing, and they are aware of the damage poor behavior can do to our relationship with the communities we serve. I recognize announcements about the outcome of our investigations may have the potential to cause further public concern, but I hope it demonstrates our absolute commitment to investigate any corrupt and abusive behavior from the Met." Photo by Dani 7C3, Wikimedia commons.