Met Police keen to discuss issue after sprinter’s racism claims

The Metropolitan Police have asked a Team GB sprinter to contact them to discuss her concerns after she said officers racially profiled her and her partner during a stop and search on Saturday.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Bianca Williams and her partner, Ricardo dos Santos – a Portuguese 400m sprinter, were stopped in west London on Saturday afternoon.

Ms Williams, whose threemonth-old son was in the car during the incident, called it an “awful experience” and believes the couple were targeted because they are black and drive a Mercedes.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she is considering legal action against the Metropolitan Police after the incident.

“I feel very hurt by their actions, and to witness my partner being taken away and for me to be taken away from my son, my heart hurts,” she told the programme.

Nothing was found following a search of the vehicle, the man and the woman, according to the force – which said officers were patrolling the area in response to an increase in violence involving weapons.

Yesterday, Scotland Yard said its Directorate of Professional Standards had revisited body-worn footage and social media videos and found no misconduct issues.

Commander for Central West Helen Harper said while no misconduct issues had been found, “that does not mean there isn’t something to be learnt from every interaction we have with the public”.

The force has now asked Ms Williams and her partner to contact them to discuss the pair’s concerns over the incident.