Met officer ‘tortured’ by sirens wins claim

AN officer in the Metropolitan Police “tortured” by police sirens has won a hearing discrimination claim.

Shafi Karim was sacked from the London force because his poor hearing led to fears that he was unsafe on the job, an employment tribunal heard.

The trainee officer struggled to hear instructions over his police radio and experienced feedback through his hearing aids, the tribunal was told.

In one “blue light” exercise he complained that patrol car sirens were like “torture” and in a simulated police chase he had to stop to change the batteries in the device.

Mr Karim was made to complete a series of role play-tests, and senior officers became concerned that his poor hearing could endanger himself and other officers, the panel was told.

He remained on probation for five years before he was fired in 2021, the tribunal was told.

He is now in line for compensation after suing the force over his dismissal and for making him pay some of the costs related to his hearing aids.

The tribunal concluded that Mr Karim had been subjected to disability discrimination arising from his dis- missal, and that the force had failed to make reasonable adjustments by not paying for his advanced hearing aid kit and insurance.

A claim of direct discrimination – in which he claimed the Met made a “stereotypical assumption” that his hearing impairment “rendered him incapable” of doing the job – was dismissed.

Employment Judge Jillian Brown said: “The Met should never have required Mr Karim to pay this cost of the advanced hearing aid kit.”

A hearing to decide his compensation will be held at a later date.