Nine officers based at Charing Cross police station have been suspended by the Metropolitan Police as an inquiry begins into alleged misconduct, including excessive use of force and discriminatory and misogynistic comments. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the investigation follows a mandatory conduct referral from the Met on Thursday involving nine serving Met officers, a former Met officer and a serving detention officer. It also received a referral from another force about the conduct of a former Met officer based at Charing Cross who has since transferred.

The IOPC indicated the allegations concern conduct between August 2024 and January 2025, with ranks ranging from police constable to sergeant. The complaints include excessive force, discriminatory and misogynistic remarks, and failures to report or challenge inappropriate behaviour, with the alleged offences occurring both on and off duty. Charing Cross police station has previously come under scrutiny after a 2022 IOPC report found officers had exchanged highly offensive messages about rape, domestic violence, racism, homophobic language and derogatory terms for disabled people; the watchdog published the messages in full and described the behaviour as disgraceful. The report was part of a series of scandals that contributed to the resignation of former Met Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick in February 2022.

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said the allegations were concerning and that the investigation would be thorough and independent, with the Met’s referral prompted by a third party that is being asked to provide information central to the inquiry. The priority at this stage is to gather all relevant evidence. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist described the conduct as disgraceful and noted that nine officers were suspended within 24 hours of the allegations being assessed, with a further two removed from frontline duties. He said steps to secure evidence and protect the public had been taken and that the Met had asked the IOPC to oversee the inquiry. Twist also stated that there would be an examination of leadership and culture within the custody teams at Charing Cross as part of a major overhaul aimed at raising standards. A Police Federation spokesperson said the allegations would, if confirmed, represent unacceptable conduct that damages public trust. The matter will feature in an upcoming BBC Panorama documentary.