Nine serving Metropolitan Police officers have been suspended and an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) inquiry launched following allegations of excessive use of force, discriminatory and misogynistic comments, and failures to report or challenge inappropriate behaviour.
The IOPC said its inquiry stems from a mandatory conduct referral from the Met on Thursday and includes nine serving officers, one former officer and a serving designated detention officer. The watchdog also received a separate referral from another force about a former Met officer who has since transferred. The alleged conduct took place both on and off duty between August 2024 and January 2025 and involves officers ranging in rank from police constable to sergeant.
Amanda Rowe, the IOPC director, said the allegations were "concerning" and acknowledged public sensitivity given the watchdog's previous investigation into Charing Cross. "These are concerning allegations involving a large number of individuals and we understand there will be public concern, particularly in light of our previous investigation into similar allegations at the same police station," she said. Rowe added that the IOPC had written to a third party believed to have alerted the Met to request information "that will be central to our inquiries" and that securing relevant evidence was a priority.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said nine officers were suspended within 24 hours of the allegations being assessed and two others were removed from frontline duties. "The behaviour as reported is disgraceful," he said, adding that the force had taken "rapid steps to secure evidence and protect the public." Twist said the Met had asked the IOPC to investigate and welcomed the watchdog's decision to take on the case.
Twist said the force was taking "immediate steps to dismantle the current custody team" at Charing Cross in what he described as an "exceptional reset" intended to ensure high standards. He said senior leaders and Professional Standards were scrutinising leadership and culture within the teams to "root out any further failings," and that the force would be "relentless, leaving no stone unturned, in removing people who have no place in the Met."
Charing Cross has previously been the subject of IOPC scrutiny. A 2022 IOPC report revealed that officers at the station had exchanged highly offensive messages that included jokes about rape and domestic violence, violent racism, homophobic language and derogatory terms for disabled people. The watchdog published the messages in full at the time and called the behaviour "disgraceful." That probe, part of a string of controversies that hit the force, preceded the resignation of then-Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick in February 2022.
The IOPC said the current inquiry would be independent and robust. It confirmed that investigators would examine evidence from multiple sources and that the investigation covered incidents both on and off duty. The Met said it had taken immediate operational steps to protect the public and secure evidence while the inquiry proceeds.
The allegations relating to the Charing Cross officers will also feature in an upcoming BBC Panorama documentary series, the force said. The IOPC has not disclosed a timetable for the investigation or whether criminal charges might follow; its inquiries and any subsequent disciplinary or criminal processes will determine next steps.