Legal News

Six white officers to sue Met for discrimination
Thu 26th Aug 10 - 11:22

Six white officers from the Metropolitan police's territorial support group (TSG) are to sue the force for racial discrimination, it has emerged. The claims follow acquittal of the officers after an incident in 2007 where they stopped two teenagers who later accused one officer of assault.

The officers were all involved in an incident in 2007 in which they stopped two teenagers who went on to accuse one of the officers of assault.

The discrimination claim follows an incident in June 2007 in which PC Mark Jones was accused of subjecting two teenagers to a physical and verbal attack. The other five TSG officers who were on the patrol were alleged to have covered up the attack. The prosecution case relied on the evidence of a black TSG officer.

PC Jones and the other five officers on the patrol were found not guilty at a trial at Kingston crown court in November last year.

The Guardian reports that documents submitted to the tribunals service in London, the six men claim they were the victim of racial discrimination. Tonight a spokesman for the tribunals service confirmed that Jones, Sergeant William Wilson, PC Steven White, PC Giles Kitchener, PC Simon Prout and PC Neil Brown filed for racial discrimination in July. He refused to confirm that the claim related to the incident in June 2007 and said no date had been set for a hearing."

Michael Forrester of Ralli’s Police Law team comments:

“Claims for discrimination on the grounds of race are on the basis that the Claimant was treated less favorably on the grounds of colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origins.

It appears likely that the officers in this case will rely upon colour or race, and therefore identify how they were treated less favorably than, for example, an officer of the same colour or race as the teenagers stopped in the incident.

It is important for officers bringing such claims to instruct a specialist solicitor with knowledge of police procedures, as a number of different employment laws apply to police officers than other employees.”

The Police Law team at Ralli specialise in cases for police officers which are complex, specialist or high value. We are often instructed by officers who are looking outside the traditional firms who act for the police in these situations.

Ralli is currently acting for 6 officers in the case of Dowson and Others v The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, where the officers are bringing claims in the High Court of bullying and harassment. The judgment in this precedent case is expected in October."