Charges against ex-Met Police officers for racist WhatsApp messages

author: FutureCar Staff    

Six former Metropolitan Police officers have been charged with sending grossly offensive racist messages on WhatsApp, according to the force. The charges come after a BBC Newsnight investigation last year, which led to an inquiry by the Met's directorate of professional standards.

The racist messages shared in the chat reportedly included comments about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The BBC had previously reported that one of the men, Robert Lewis, was a Home Office official who had been suspended by the government department.

In addition to Lewis, the other five men charged are Peter Booth, Anthony Elsom, Alan Hall, Michael Chadwell, and Trevor Lewton. They are aged between 62 and 67 and are from various locations across the UK.

The investigation found that these inappropriate communications were shared within a closed WhatsApp group between August 2018 and September 2022, as confirmed by the Met.

The retired officers, who left the force between 2001 and 2015, have been charged by post with offences under the Communications Act 2003. They are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 7.

FutureCar Staff