Dorset Police inspector sacked over WhatsApp messages

Insp Nicholas Mantle, of Dorset Police, had been in a supervisory role at the time the messages were sent

A police inspector has been sacked for posting offensive messages on a WhatsApp group.

Insp Nicholas Mantle, of Dorset Police, was found to have breached standards of professional behaviour for being part of a team chat that shared racist, sexist and homophobic content, in June.

An independent panel dismissed him without notice and barred him from the organisation at a hearing on Tuesday.

Dorset Police said he was "not the type of leader" they wanted in their force.

Three other officers and one former officer in the group have already been sanctioned.

Mr Mantle faced a public misconduct hearing in June, after the Force's Professional Standards Department received complaints of bullying and discriminatory behaviour.

The WhatsApp group, for members of the Force Support Group, received posts that were sexual, pornographic, misogynistic, homophobic and racist, the panel found.

Mr Mantle posted two offensive images on the WhatsApp group, did not leave the group, and failed to treat members of the public and colleagues with respect and courtesy, the panel ruled.

It was also found that he breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour concerning equality and diversity by posting one message and failing to challenge the offensive behaviour of those he supervised.

Dorset Police said Mr Mantle was "not the type of leader" they wanted in their force

PC Mark Jordan-Gill and former PC Paul Perdrisat, who were based in Bournemouth, were also previously found guilty of gross misconduct by a police tribunal.

PC Jordan-Gill was sacked and the panel said Mr Perdrisat would have been dismissed from the force had he not already resigned.

They were also placed on the barred list.

One former team member, named as PC A, told the panel that bullying had made him consider taking his own life.

Serving officer PC Lowther, who challenged the messages and left the WhatsApp group, was handed a written warning.

PC Matthew Young, also a serving officer, was issued with a final written warning after admitting he failed to challenge the other officers but had extremely limited participation in the group.

The panel found insufficient evidence of the officers making verbal racist or homophobic comments in the presence of other officers.

'Completely unacceptable'

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Farrell, Dorset Police's lead for professional standards, said Mr Mantle was in a "trusted supervisory role" when the messages were sent.

She added: "His lack of action in failing to challenge this behaviour and failing to act when PC Lowther called it out is completely unacceptable.

"This is not the type of leader we wish to have in our force and as this case has shown we will robustly investigate offences and, if appropriate, remove individuals from the organisation."