Home Secretary Priti Patel blasted a "failure of leadership” for fuelling the Charing Cross police station scandal.
The Cabinet Minister piled fresh pressure on embattled Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick after officers based at the station in London’s West End were found to have sent homophobic, racist and sexist messages.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct published texts after a series of nine investigations into the behaviour of Met officers based in the now disbanded team between 2016 and 2018, sparked by a claim an officer had sex with a drunk person at a police station.
Fourteen officers were investigated by the watchdog, of whom two were found to have a case to answer for gross misconduct.
One was sacked and another resigned before he would have been dismissed.
Nine remain serving officers, while another is working as a contractor in a staff role.
Ms Patel told the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee: "I personally think, and I have spoken about this many times, that there are problems with the culture, and some aspects of the culture, within the Metropolitan Police.”
She added: “We have seen now too, too many times too many instances where, in policing, we just see the most appalling behaviours, the most appalling conduct. I also think it shows a failure of leadership in some quarters.”
Ms Patel said while she had confidence in Dame Cressida, a shake-up was needed.
"I've always said that I'm confident in her and her work, but that also means that change is required … There are lots of issues, it's not straightforward with the Met, and there are lots of issues there where we need to see major, significant improvements - culture, delivery, accountability and protecting the streets,” she said.
"I'm very clear and upfront with the Commissioner about the problems that we see in the Metropolitan Police ... with a range of failure points, where there's - I'm not even going to call it underperforming - but behaviours, culture, particularly post the awful murder of Sarah Everard, and I'm very challenging directly with the Commissioner and I will continue to be so because the public want answers."
The top Tory said the watchdog’s inquiry uncovered “cultural and attitudinal” behaviours.
“We've got to really pull back the layers in terms of not just attitudes, but what is that culture?” she said.
“What is that culture that permeates in policing and what are we going to do collectively to change that?"
She also signalled another probe could be triggered, adding: “There are some very, very serious and significant matters that need, not just following up, but further investigation.
“We're not seeing one-off incidences - I think we should just be quite clear about that, this is not isolated.”
Two inquiries are examining the culture within the Met - one by Baroness Louise Casey that was organised by the force itself, and a Home Office probe headed by Dame Elish Angiolini that is looking at the failures behind the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens, who has been jailed for life.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the IOPC uncovered "truly appalling behaviour" and urged the Home Office to address issues in policing.
She said: "Officers talking and joking about raping or beating their wives, and using homophobic insults and awful racism - you cannot ever tolerate this kind of abuse, racism or misogyny, it must have no place in policing and be rooted out."
