Met Police officer abused power and used racist language, report finds

The Metropolitan Police panel found Stephen Redgewell's actions amounted to gross misconduct

A Met Police officer abused his power to pursue a relationship with a colleague and used racist language, an investigation has found.

Stephen Redgewell sent sexual images to a colleague and called her an "Asian babe", an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) report said.

Det Sgt Redgewell had been representing the woman through his role as deputy general secretary of the Met Police Federation.

He resigned from the force in 2018.

Had he not done so, Mr Redgewell, now 54, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct, the Met Police said.

The investigation found he manipulated his colleague, making "her feel dependent on him".

The IOPC examined more than 2,000 text messages between the former officer and the unnamed colleague.

In these messages, Mr Redgewell used anti-Semitic, racist, homophobic and sexist language.

He also asked his colleague to leave her husband, and sent photographs of an officer he referred to as a "Muslim babe".

'Corrodes trust'

IOPC regional director for London Sal Naseem said Mr Redgewell "abused his position by behaving in a predatory manner".

Mr Naseem said: "This type of appalling behaviour corrodes the public's trust in policing.

"I have no doubt [Mr Redgewell's behaviour] will appal fellow officers, the wider policing community and members of the public."

Commander Paul Betts said the language used by Mr Redgewell has "absolutely no place in the Metropolitan Police".

Mr Betts, from the Met Police's Directorate of Professional Standards, said the force had "a zero-tolerance policy for any behaviour that is racist, sexist or homophobic".

He added: "It is right Mr Redgewell would have been dismissed without notice if he had still been a serving officer."