Sheldon Lewcock: No misconduct hearing over police 'racist' code

Sheldon Lewcock died in hospital in August 2022

Two police officers accused by a family of using a "racist" codeword while a teenager lay dying in hospital will not face misconduct charges.

Sheldon Lewcock was hit by a van in Tilehurst, Reading, in August 2022.

While the 19-year-old - who was mixed race - was in hospital, police gave his family the code word "banana" to allow visits and updates about his condition.

Police investigator Mick Osborne found there was no evidence the officers intended to cause distress.

Tributes were left where Sheldon Lewcock suffered fatal injuries on Pierces Hill in Tilehurst

Mr Osborne, from Thames Valley Police Professional Standards Department, said the word "banana" was sometime used by officers to describe Tasers, due to their shape and colour.

He said: "PC Hodson denies setting up the code word as a racial slur or with any racial connotations behind it, reaffirming it was selected after a conversation with his crewmate who happened to be carrying a Taser at the time the request was made."

He said neither PC Hodson nor PC Wilkins, based in Oxford, had previously had racist behaviour recorded against them.

Angela Lewcock previously said she was angry with Thames Valley Police's handling of her son's death

Mr Lewcock's mother, Angela Lewcock, and father, Leroy Williams, complained about the code word and the police investigation into their son's death.

Ms Lewcock previously said: "To visit my son he had a password, which was banana, which I didn't really think much of it at the time and it wasn't until after I realised that it was probably a racist comment. It's disgusting."

Mr Osborne said the officers should undergo "reflective practice", delivered by a senior officer, "in order for them to fully appreciate the consequences of their unintended actions".

He said future code words should be selected by the force control room inspector from an approved list.

Thames Valley Police said it was reviewing its procedures.

The investigator said the complaint about the police inquiry into the death could not yet be resolved.