Met Police whistleblower PC James Patrick will not be sacked

A police whistleblower who was facing gross misconduct proceedings after he raised concerns about the Metropolitan Police will not be sacked.

PC James Patrick had said crime figures were manipulated and sexual offences were being under-reported by 22-25%.

He could have been sacked if found guilty of gross misconduct.

But after an outside force investigated the case was downgraded, meaning the stiffest punishment he now faces is a written warning for 18 months.

The officer's solicitor Karen Todner said: "We are pleased that following a management review the Metropolitan Police are not proceeding with the full disciplinary hearing against PC James Patrick."

She added that he continued to "defend the allegations".

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the hearing would now be a "formal meeting, chaired by an inspector as per national guidelines".

'Massaging figures'

PC Patrick told MPs on the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) that massaging figures to hit performance targets had become "an ingrained part of policing culture".

He claimed that serious offences including rape and child sex abuse were being recorded as "crime-related incidents" or "no crimes".

He said he had found disparities between the number of reported burglaries and those finally recorded when he worked in a specialist role looking at the recording of crime.

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has previously said there was a "truth" to PC Patrick's allegations.

Police-recorded crime figures have now been stripped of an official stamp of quality by statistics watchdog the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA).