Six former Metropolitan Police officers have been charged with sending grossly offensive racist messages on WhatsApp, the force said on Tuesday.
The officers, who retired between 2001 and 2015, were charged by post with offences under the Communications Act 2003 following a BBC investigation in October last year.
Peter Booth, Robert Lewis, Anthony Elsom, Alan Hall, Michael Chadwell and Trevor Lewton will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 7.
Mr Lewis, who allegedly started the group, was also a former immigration official at the Home Office, the BBC reported in October, before he was suspended following the investigation.
In a statement, the Met said: “As a result of the investigation, it was established that from August 2018 until September 2022, inappropriate communications were shared within a closed WhatsApp group.
“The six men charged were not serving at any point during their participation in the group.
“They served in various parts of the Met throughout their careers but all spent time in the Diplomatic Protection Group, now known as the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.”
The group is a specialist operations branch of the Met that guards the Houses of Parliament and protects ministers.
The force said the first arrest was made “within hours” of the allegations being passed to the Met by the BBC following its Newsnight programme.
The BBC said some posts referenced the Government’s Rwanda policy, recent flooding in Pakistan which left almost 1,700 people dead, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex featured in “several images”.
The messages were given to the BBC by a former member of the group, Dave Eden, who previously told the BBC: “There are references to black politicians which are extremely unpleasant.”
Commander James Harman, who leads the Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, said: “We are working relentlessly to rebuild the trust of the public which has understandably been dented by a number of high profile incidents and investigations in recent years which have involved officers or former officers.
“The honest majority of Met officers are fully behind this work. They are tired of being let down by a minority in policing and they are aware of the damage poor behaviour can do to our relationship with the communities we serve.
“I recognise announcements about the outcome of our investigations may have the potential to cause further public concern, but I hope it demonstrates our absolute commitment to investigate behaviour from the Met.
“I hope the public will recognise that we are determined to take the necessary measures to investigate wherever we find it.”
Peter Booth, 66, of Carmarthenshire, has been charged with four counts of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in April 2001.
Surrey man Robert Lewis, 62, who retired from the force in May 2015, has been charged with eight counts of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages.
Anthony Elsom, 67, of Bournemouth, has been charged with three counts of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in May 2012.
Alan Hall, 65, of Suffolk, has been charged with three counts of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages after retiring from the Met in June 2015.
Michael Chadwell, 62, of Hampshire, has been charged with one count of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in November 2015.
Trevor Lewton, 65, of Swansea, has been charged with one count of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in August 2009.
