Three Met Police officers fired after Panorama exposes shocking misconduct

Three Metropolitan Police officers have been dismissed from the force for gross misconduct just 23 days after their disturbing behaviour at Charing Cross Police Station was exposed in a BBC Panorama investigation.

Sgt. Joseph McIlvenny, PC Martin Borg, and PC Phillip Neilson faced fast-track misconduct hearings on Thursday, 23 October, where allegations of breaching professional standards, including authority, respect, courtesy, equality, and conduct unbecoming of officers, were all proven.

The trio were dismissed without notice and placed on the College of Policing’s Barred List, permanently preventing them from rejoining any UK police service or related agency.

Commander Simon Messinger of the Met’s Professionalism Directorate said: “Following the shocking and appalling behaviour shown on Panorama, we acted immediately where the evidence was indisputable. Three officers have rightly been dismissed for their disgraceful conduct. We remain unrelenting in our commitment to raise and maintain the highest standards across the Met.”

He noted that the custody team at Charing Cross had since been replaced, local leadership overhauled, and a wider review launched to identify other potential issues within Met detention units.

The BBC Panorama episode, aired on 1 October, captured Sgt. McIlvenny mocking a rape victim’s account, making misogynistic and offensive comments about a female detainee, and instructing colleagues to avoid speaking about use of force near cameras.

PC Borg was shown making Islamophobic and crude remarks about detainees, boasting that he joined the police “to nick people and get into scraps,” and laughing about an officer injuring a detainee through excessive force.

PC Neilson was heard making racist and discriminatory comments about various ethnic groups and bragging about deliberately trying to harm a young detainee “who deserved it.”

While some allegations against PC Borg were not proven, all other charges against the three were upheld.

Five more serving officers and one former officer are due to face accelerated misconduct hearings on 24 and 28 October, as the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) continues its investigation.