This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63164818
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ex-Met Police officer arrested over racist WhatsApp chat | Ex-Met Police officer arrested over racist WhatsApp chat |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rob Lewis, an ex-Metropolitan Police officer, is understood to have created the group chat | Rob Lewis, an ex-Metropolitan Police officer, is understood to have created the group chat |
| A ex-Met Police officer, suspended after a BBC investigation revealed he had been posting racist content on WhatsApp, has been arrested. | A ex-Met Police officer, suspended after a BBC investigation revealed he had been posting racist content on WhatsApp, has been arrested. |
| Rob Lewis, now a Home Office official, is being held on suspicion of offences under the Communications Act and misconduct in a public office. | Rob Lewis, now a Home Office official, is being held on suspicion of offences under the Communications Act and misconduct in a public office. |
| BBC Newsnight has seen racist messages about flooding in Pakistan, as well as Harry and Meghan, shared in the chat. | BBC Newsnight has seen racist messages about flooding in Pakistan, as well as Harry and Meghan, shared in the chat. |
| The Home Office suspended him, calling the messages "vile and deplorable". | The Home Office suspended him, calling the messages "vile and deplorable". |
| It said it had "a zero-tolerance approach to anyone displaying racist or discriminatory behaviour". | It said it had "a zero-tolerance approach to anyone displaying racist or discriminatory behaviour". |
| Rob Lewis is understood to have created the group chat, which also included other former Met police officers. | Rob Lewis is understood to have created the group chat, which also included other former Met police officers. |
| Ex-Met officer suspended over racist WhatsApp chat | |
| 'The culture of the Met Police has to change' | |
| Met's new commissioner 'tougher than he looks' | |
| Newsnight has been passed dozens of messages, by a member of the group. Many are too offensive to show. Some contain the very strongest racial slurs. | Newsnight has been passed dozens of messages, by a member of the group. Many are too offensive to show. Some contain the very strongest racial slurs. |
| Some of the posts reference the government's Rwanda policy, while others joke about recent flooding in Pakistan, which left almost 1,700 people dead. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also feature in several memes, alongside racist language. | Some of the posts reference the government's Rwanda policy, while others joke about recent flooding in Pakistan, which left almost 1,700 people dead. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also feature in several memes, alongside racist language. |
| Several of the members of the WhatsApp group used to work for the Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG), a specialist operations branch of the Met that guards the Houses of Parliament and protects ministers. | Several of the members of the WhatsApp group used to work for the Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG), a specialist operations branch of the Met that guards the Houses of Parliament and protects ministers. |
| Newsnight understands serving police officers were part of the group in question until recently, but many left following the murder of Sarah Everard, last year. Ms Everard was murdered by Wayne Couzens, who was a member of the same specialist branch. | Newsnight understands serving police officers were part of the group in question until recently, but many left following the murder of Sarah Everard, last year. Ms Everard was murdered by Wayne Couzens, who was a member of the same specialist branch. |
| The unit has since changed its name and is now called the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP). | The unit has since changed its name and is now called the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP). |
| Sir Mark Rowley took over as commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in September, vowing to renew trust in the force. | |
| He has promised cultural reform, saying he will "root out" corrupting officers and staff from the organisation. |