Olivia Pinkney, photographed at Hampshire Police headquarters, Netley. MEMBERS of a ‘toxic’ police unit who were sacked after covert recordings caught a catalogue of racist, sexist and homophobic remarks have been criticised for their “outdated and offensive views”. Police chiefs have welcomed a decision to dismiss three members of Hampshire Constabulary’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) based at the Northern Police Investigation Centre, in Basingstoke. Detective Sergeant Oliver Lage, Detective Sergeant Gregory Willcox and PC James Oldfield have been discharged from the constabulary without notice. Retired Detective Inspector Tim Ireson and former PC Craig Bannerman would have been dismissed if they had not already left the service. The sixth officer, PC Andrew Ferguson was given a final written warning.
BBC News
Published
image copyrightSolent News
image captionFormer Det Insp Tim Ireson led the unit for two years and would have been sacked if he was still serving
Three members of a toxic police unit have been sacked for gross misconduct after their offensive conversations were secretly bugged.
The devices picked up homophobic, racist and sexist conversations in the offices of Hampshire s Serious and Organised Crime Unit in Basingstoke in 2018, a misconduct panel heard.
A number of force staff referred to it as a lads pad .
Two other officers would have been sacked but had already left the force.
The misconduct hearing was told in the 24 days the office was bugged - following concerns raised by a whistleblower - there was enough profanity, casual sexism and racism to last a lifetime .
Five police officers have been dismissed after covert recording equipment uncovered a “toxic” culture at an organised crime unit where abhorrent racist, sexist and homophobic language was the “stock