Police racism warnings ‘were ignored for years’

Warnings of racism at Scotland Yard have fallen on deaf ears for more than a decade, a top policeman has said, as eight officers were suspended from the force.

Superintendent Leroy Logan, of the Black Police Association, said he was “disappointed” by the Met’s apparent failure to take effective action following years of feedback from black communities.

He spoke after ten complaints – relating to 20 officers and one member of police staff – were referred to the police watchdog.

The referrals came days after reports of “very damaging” footage of one officer apparently racially abusing a man and another allegedly assaulting a teenage boy last summer.

Citing a need to “root out the bad boy cops”, Supt Logan said: “We have to keep going because it is the legacy of our children we are looking at.”