Met police sacked over Finchley car chase beating

Two police officers have been sacked for beating up three men after a car chase in north London.

In July 2009 the two officers, now aged 37 and 40, were among a group of six who chased a Citroen Saxo into the Grange Estate, East Finchley.

An investigation heard how the victims, one aged 18 and two aged 31 at the time, said excessive force was used.

Meanwhile in a separate case, an officer, 40, from Ealing, west London, has been sacked for gross misconduct.

'Deliberate force'

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) heard the car with four occupants had failed to stop when commanded to by the officers.

After a chase it was parked in the estate and the driver fled - he has never been traced.

Two of the car's occupants were forcibly removed from the vehicle. Neither was arrested but they were forcibly detained without being read their rights, the IPCC heard.

All three occupants were also subjected to violence, leaving one with a "serious nose injury".

The IPCC found the officers were "unable to reasonably account for their actions and their use of force" and required standards of behaviour were not met.

The case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) twice, but it decided not to press charges.

The watchdog said there were "individual failings" by all six officers, but in four cases it amounted to "gross misconduct".

IPCC commissioner for London, Deborah Glass, said: "It was the conduct of the police officers which escalated the incident and which led to the officers deliberately and unnecessarily using disproportionate force."

Four officers were brought before the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), which dismissed two officers and two others have been given a final written warning.

Met Commander Peter Spindler said: "Regardless of the CPS not bringing criminal proceedings against these four officers, we felt their behaviour was completely unacceptable and amounted to gross misconduct resulting in two dismissals."

Two others are awaiting misconduct hearings.

'Victimise colleagues'

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard has announced that an officer has been sacked over a separate incident.

The force said that in September 2010, two female police staff members made an allegation that they had been subjected to sexual touching, assault and harassment by the police constable.

The incident was fully investigated by the DPS and the officer was arrested but, on the advice of the CPS, no further criminal action was taken against him.

An internal discipline panel's investigation supported the women's claims and the officer was immediately dismissed.

Commander Peter Spindler, in charge of the DPS, said: "We do not want people in this organisation who believe they can victimise their colleagues.

"This officer's offensive behaviour has let everyone down, the people he worked with and the public he was paid to serve, it is only right that he has been dismissed from the service."