‘Plain nasty’ police unit six accused

Bugging device recorded members being ‘racist, sexist and derogatory’

MEMBERS of a ‘toxic’ specialist police unit were recorded by a bugging device making ‘abhorrent’ racist, sexist, homophobic and other inappropriate comments, a disciplinary hearing has been told.

Six officers from Hampshire police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (Socu) office in Basingstoke, are accused of breaching professional standards.

Jason Beer QC, presenting the case against the officers, said that following an anonymous complaint, covert recording devices were placed in the unit’s offices between March 9 and April 2, 2018.

Retired Detective Inspector Tim Ireson, Detective Sergeant Oliver Lage, Detective Sergeant Gregory Willcox, former PC Craig Bannerman, trainee Detective

Constable Andrew Ferguson and PC James Oldfield are all accused of breaching professional standards.

Mr Ireson and Det Sgt Willcox are accused of failing to fulfil their supervisory roles to stop or report the inappropriate behaviour.

Mr Beer said: ‘This was a specialist police unit that enjoyed relative isolation from the rest of the force due to the sensitive and sometimes covert nature of the work that it undertook.

‘That isolation and a lack of leadership by Mr Ireson and Det Sgt Willcox appears to have led to a toxic, abhorrent culture developing.’

Mr Beer said: ‘It was firstly a unit that was sexist – women were called or referred to as whores, sluts...

‘It was a unit that was racist

– a black officer is described as a pavement special, ie a mixed-breed dog. People are described as pikeys, a black officer is accused of behaving like a colonial overseer running a plantation of white people, and when speaking to a black officer a colleague puts on a fake Caribbean accent.’

Mr Beer said that the officers were also recorded using derogatory terms for disabled, gay and transgender people.

He added: ‘It was a unit that was plain nasty, that displayed attitudes towards groups and communities that police officers are called upon to protect.’

Oldfield is also accused of attending work after excessive alcohol consumption and Det Sgt Willcox is also alleged to have falsely recorded hours and overtime. The Winchester hearing continues.