Seventh Met officer fired as Charing Cross scandal deepens again

The Metropolitan Police has dismissed yet another officer implicated in the widening misconduct scandal linked to Charing Cross Police Station, bringing the total number of sackings to seven.

The latest officer, Police Constable Sean Park of the Central West Command Unit, was removed from duty after a misconduct panel found he had engaged in discriminatory behaviour and failed to challenge excessive use of force by a colleague.

PC Park’s behaviour came to light following the BBC Panorama broadcast of 1 October, which exposed a culture of offensive remarks, discrimination and inappropriate conduct among some officers at Charing Cross.

At the accelerated misconduct hearing held on 25 November, the panel concluded that PC Park had expressed disrespectful and discriminatory views about Muslims, and had openly boasted about looking away during an incident in which another officer allegedly stomped on a detainee’s ankle.

He was also found to have failed to challenge the discriminatory comments of PC Martin Borg, who was previously dismissed as part of the same scandal.

Commander Simon Messinger, from the Met’s Professionalism Directorate, condemned PC Park’s conduct, describing his behaviour as far beneath the standards expected of serving officers.

“His comments were appalling, along with his apparent condonement of inappropriate use of force against a detainee, and it is entirely right he has now lost his job,” Messinger said.

The dismissal, however, came amid renewed tensions around the misconduct process after the BBC disclosed new, unaired footage to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) just a day before the hearing for another officer, former PC Brian Sharkey, prompting a last-minute adjournment.

Commander Messinger acknowledged the delay was frustrating but insisted the new material must be properly examined to ensure a complete evidential record when proceedings resume. Sharkey’s rescheduled hearing is expected to take place in February.

PC Park was found to have breached multiple professional standards, including authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity, discreditable conduct and failing to challenge improper behaviour.

Like the six officers dismissed before him, he will now be placed on the College of Policing’s Barred List, effectively preventing future employment in policing or related sectors.