Top police officer faces sack over using ‘whiter than white’ phrase

A TOP Scotland Yard officer could face the sack after a colleague accused him of racism for using the phrase ‘whiter than white’.

The independent police watchdog served papers on a detective superintendent, warning that his comment could constitute gross misconduct.

He has been told that an investigation into the words and other matters could take up to 15 months, during which his duties have been restricted.

The phrase was allegedly spoken during a briefing about a wider probe into allegations of corruption at the force’s professional standards department. Sources said the senior officer was addressing others about the need for their highly-sensitive work to be beyond reproach. One of the officer’s colleagues said he did not realise his words had caused offence until he received formal paperwork.

He said: ‘There are phrases which are clearly unacceptable in 21st century policing and society, but this is not one of them.

‘Officers of every rank know they must be very careful with their language but this allegation has come from nowhere.’

Investigators are understood to be examining claims the officer deliberately used the phrase in a malicious tone. The Metropolitan Police is at the centre of a wideranging inquiry into claims anti-corruption officers shielded others from complaints about child abuse, fraud and racism.

Among the allegations is that internal inquiries into a wide range of potentially damaging and embarrassing matters were quietly dropped. It is understood that the detective superintendent is among those in the unit who face claims of wrongdoing from three whistleblowers.

The Met’s anti-corruption squad, the Directorate of Professional Standards, formed the blueprint for the hit BBC drama Line Of Duty. It is not the first time a police officer or public official has faced criticism for using a traditional phrase.

Asked about ‘whiter than white’, a spokesman for the Plain English Campaign said: ‘It seems fairly ludicrous that the officer in question is being investigated at all, let alone for “gross misconduct”.’

The Independent Office of Police Conduct said: ‘A notice of investigation has been served on an officer informing them we are investigating the alleged use of language deliberately intended to offend.’