Charing Cross Sergeant Joe McIlvenny, who this week featured prominently in the Panorama report

INSTITUTIONAL misogyny and racism remains deeply rooted in Metropolitan Police Service ranks despite attempts to clean up its act, campaigners warned after the latest West End cops scandal.

A criminal investigation has been launched concerning Charing Cross police station where a serving constable stands accused of perverting the course of justice.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it is looking at 11 potential cases of gross misconduct following a BBC Panorama undercover camera exposé on Wednesday night. Charing Cross Police station officers and detention staff were accused of racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim sentiment and bragging about excessive use of force.

The MPS said the force is in the process of “the biggest police corruption clear-out in British history” and its top boss Sir Mark Rowley, who is facing calls to resign, said unprecedented steps were being taken including investigating secret societies and using AI to spot “troubling trends”.

Yesterday, Thursday, a statement from the campaign group End Violence Against Women – a coalition of more than 150 specialist support groups across the country – said: “Police officers hold a particular position of power and authority over the public. Recent years have exposed the scale of abuse of this power to harm women and girls. We are appalled by footage showing a rape and domestic abuse victim being disbelieved by a male sergeant and the suspect released, despite a female officer’s attempts to challenge this decision.”

And the group said: “It is abundantly clear that there remains a deeply rooted culture of institutional racism, misogyny and Islamophobia within the Met, which the force has yet to properly address.”

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, above, said: ‘Having cleared out huge volumes of unsuitable staff over recent years, we are now probing deeper into the corrupt networks and cliques our actions have driven underground’

The Panorama secret filming reveals custody officers being dismissive of the pregnant women’s allegations of rape after a colleague questions the release of the man on bail.

After one woman was arrested in a fancy dress costume, Sergeant Joe McIlvenny, who has nearly 20 years of experience in the force, is heard saying: “ I’ve paid money to go to clubs and see women dress like this.” He later goes down to oversee the search of the woman.

In another video, an off-duty officer suggests “either put a bullet through his head or deport him” of an immigrant, and another suggests: “Islam is a problem. A serious problem I think. Muslims hate us. They f****** hate us. Proper hate us.”

The footage was obtained by Rory Bibb, who spent seven months working undercover.

Charing Cross station was exposed in 2022 after “disgraceful” homophobic, racist and misogynist language in a staff-only WhatsApp group was leaked. Officers had joked about raping colleagues and killing black children.

Sisters Uncut group set off 1,000 rape alarms outside the station in protest.

The 2022 scandal was one of a series of damaging revelations that forced the resignation of former MPS Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

And there have been calls for her replacement, Sir Mark Rowley, to resign for failing to get on top of the problem.

Above, the Extra page 1 report of February 4 2002… ‘The sickening, racist, homophobic, misogynistic and at times idiotic mentality of Charing Cross police officers, exposed in a bombshell investigation, is widespread and ‘in no way isolated to a few bad apples’, it read, following a report by The Independent Office for Police Conduct. One week later the Extra reported the ousting of then MPS Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick (below)

Sir Keir Starmer branded the TV footage “shocking” and called for a “robust response”, while Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug said: “Policing in this country is done by consent, and that means with the support of the community. We note and welcome the comments by the Metropolitan Commissioner to root out these officers and reform the system, but we will need to see swift and demonstrable action to ensure trust and confidence in the force is not further undermined. It is up to the Met at the highest levels to effectively tackle the horrendous culture of misogyny and racism that still appears to prevail within some police teams so that it is eradicated. Nothing less will be acceptable to us here in Westminster. We will work closely with the leadership of the Borough Command Unit to ensure this culture is rooted out for good.”

Zoë Garbett, Green Party London Assembly Member said: “Time and time again we are told things are improving in the Met, but clearly that’s a lie. The institutional racism, misogyny, homophobia and ableism exposed in the [Louise, Baroness] Casey Report haven’t disappeared, they’ve just been driven underground. This culture hasn’t changed. It’s been hidden.”

Sir Mark said: “As commissioner, I have been candid about the systemic, cultural, leadership and regulatory failings that have allowed misogyny, racism and a lack of public service ethos to put down deep roots. We are part way into conducting what is already the biggest corruption clear-out in British policing history. We are relentlessly arresting and sacking officers and staff, with 11 forced out each week, more than triple the rate of the previous weak approaches that left this toxic legacy behind. Having cleared out huge volumes of unsuitable staff over recent years, we are now probing deeper into the corrupt networks and cliques our actions have driven underground.”

He added: “We are hardening our policies such as bringing membership of secret societies into the light, and deploying AI and analytical intelligence technologies to spot early signs and troubling trends in our staff’s behaviour.”