Two more police officers have been disciplined following an investigation into a 'racist' police WhatsApp group, it has emerged.
One was given a written warning while another received 'management' advice. Three other cops were also investigated but did not face disciplinary action as they had 'no case to answer', the police watchdog has confirmed.
They were members of a police WhatsApp group titled 'The Dispensables' and subtitled 'the gods of north Manchester who risk their lives every day to f*** jobs off'.
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Racist and homophobic language was used in chat on the group which was said to be dominated PC Aaron Jones, who left the force in disgrace last year.
Details of the offensive content shared on the group, and separately between cops, emerged during the hearing - but its chairman Paul Forster ruled the press could only name Jones and the three cops who appeared before him.
Other cops whose names came up in the hearing, including two cops who faced internal disciplinary action, cannot be named. The M.E.N. challenged the ruling but Mr Forster said the two other officers who were disciplined had been the subject of 'private' misconduct meetings rather than a public hearing.
Now the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has confirmed the sanctions those two officers were given, although it also did not name them.
One was handed a written warning after they were found to have breached professional standards including where they concern 'equality and diversity' and 'reporting improper conduct', the watchdog confirmed.
The second was given 'management advice' for failing to 'challenge or report improper conduct', said the IOPC.
The watchdog also investigated three other officers, two for allegedly failing to challenge or report improper conduct and a third over an allegation of drug use. The watchdog found they had 'no case to answer' and so they did not face disciplinary meetings.
Following last week's public disciplinary hearing, PC Rebekah Kelly was dismissed without notice while PC Ashley Feest was told he would have been sacked had he not previously resigned and was barred from returning to police work.
A third police officer, PC Graham Atkinson, was handed a final written warning. All three cops were found to have committed gross misconduct.
PC Jones, who left the force in disgrace last year, was said to have dismissed troublemakers at Eid celebrations in Manchester's Curry Mile, in August 2018, as 'smelly P*** c***s' in a separate chat away from the group with PC Kelly, his girlfriend.
PC Kelly was said to have described those causing trouble as 'absolute d***heads the lot of them' during the exchange, although the disciplinary panel concluded this was not a racist comment.
PC Aaron Jones was banned from policing following a disciplinary hearing in December last year. Last week's disciplinary panel concluded PC Kelly failed to challenge her then boyfriend, now her husband, when he made the racist remark.
Jones was said to have messaged that he and his sergeant had 'nearly locked up' and his girlfriend Kelly, who was named 'Little Pea' on his device, replied: "Did you? They wouldn't leave it would they absolute d***heads the lot of them xxxx."
Jones is said to have replied: "Smelly P**i c***s."
PC Kelly went on that another officer at the scene had 'lost his s**t' and she added: "You would have loved it xxxx."
The other officer was 'wasted' as a neighbourhood cop, PC Jones is said to have responded before his girlfriend replied: "Yeah he really is.... he was telling them to go back home."
The disciplinary panel concluded the 'go back home' comment she had alluded to had 'only one meaning', and was racist.
PC Kelly ended her comment with two emojis of a monkey covering its eyes with its hands, two laughing face emojis and a series of kisses.
PC Feest was said to have referenced the illicit use of drugs on the group chat. He had also shared a 'racist' meme about slavery and he was also found to be positive for steroids when he was subject to a random drugs test by the force, the hearing was told.
In an interview with the M.E.N. Mr Feest admitted he had been a 'silly silly boy' but he said he wasn't racist.
However, the disciplinary panel decided not to sack PC Atkinson, who originally set up the group for male officers on his shift to arrange nights out and five-a-side football. It was originally called "B2 Soldiers'. He said he had nothing to do with the change of name.
But PC Atkinson had failed to challenge racist and homophobic comments on the group although he had not posted any himself or shared inappropriate material, the panel concluded.
The internal investigation had also uncovered mobile phone footage, shot by PC Jones, which showed PC Atkinson mocking a Lithuanian man by appearing to speak a 'made up language'.
The disciplinary panel concluded the video had 'clear racist overtones' although his behaviour lasted only a matter of seconds.
The IOPC, in a statement, said it had had investigated 'racist, ableist and other offensive messages' shared in the group.
The chat included comments about people with autism and photos which appeared to be steroids, said the watchdog.
IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: "The messages in this WhatsApp group were inexcusable and abhorrent. 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."
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