More Greater Manchester Police PCs disciplined over offensive messages

Messages about drug usage and supply were also shared on the group

Details have emerged of two more police officers being disciplined after "abhorrent" racist and ableist messages were shared on a WhatsApp group.

Three Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers were barred from the profession over the messages shared on a group called "The Dispensables", with a fourth given a final written warning.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said another officer had received a final written warning.

A sixth PC was given management advice.

The IOPC launched an investigation into the group of GMP officers during an inquiry into PC Aaron Jones over supplying steroids.

'Derogatory comments'

It said it found the WhatsApp group on his phone which had a number of police officers as members and contained "inexcusable and abhorrent" messages.

An IOPC spokesman said the watchdog had found messages that "referenced drug use" as well as "derogatory comments which did not appear to be challenged by any of the officers within the group".

"Examples included racist comments about people attending a festival celebrating Eid in Manchester, ableist comments about people with autism and photos shared of medication which appeared to be steroids," he said.

PC Jones and PC Ashley Feest, who were part of the group, admitted their behaviour amounted to gross misconduct at a disciplinary hearing and were dismissed.

PC Rebekah Kelly, who was not in the group, was found to have failed to report racist messages sent to her.

She had argued her behaviour did not amount to gross misconduct, but was dismissed without notice.

All three were added to the College of Policing's Barred List.

The IOPC named PC Graham Atkinson, who was a member of the group, as the fourth officer disciplined by receiving a final written.

He admitted breaching the standards of behaviour, also at the level of gross misconduct.

A written warning was given to another unnamed member of the group while management advice was given to the sixth officer disciplined as part of the investigation.

Three other officers were cleared of wrongdoing, the IOPC said.

'Undermines public confidence'

IOPC regional director Catherine Bates said: "Messages sent via WhatsApp and on any form of social media cannot be a hiding place for officers with these types of views.

"Behaviour of this nature seriously undermines public confidence in policing. It is part of our role, and for police forces themselves, to ensure that it is rooted out and those responsible are held to account for their actions.

"The outcome sends a clear message that the use and failure to challenge offensive language is wholly unacceptable."

PC Jones was sacked in December 2022 after a misconduct hearing found he had offered to supply steroids in January 2019.

He had already been sentenced to a 12-month community order and 80 hours unpaid work in June 2022 after admitting two counts of offering to supply Class C drugs.

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