The Metropolitan Police force has apologized to former glamour model Katie Price and her son Harvey after two officers, Pc Glynn Rees and Pc Dave Selway, were sacked for sharing discriminatory messages about them on a WhatsApp group. The group, called “Secret Squirrel Shit,” was comprised of eight Met Police officers who were found guilty of gross misconduct and were barred from the police service for life. The messages, sent between May 2016 and June 2018, included racist, homophobic, disablist, transphobic, and sexist remarks.
During an interview, Commander Jon Savell apologized to Katie and Harvey Price on behalf of the force, saying that the messages were “awful” and “should not have happened.” Savell also acknowledged that the case had caused “enormous damage” to the Met’s reputation and said that the force is working to root out officers with similar attitudes and behaviors. The commander also emphasized that “dark humour” has “no place in policing” and that the force is committed to dealing with officers who engage in discriminatory behavior.
Katie Price and Son Harvey (Via Katie Price/Twitter)
The messages sent by the officers were damning, with some describing Harvey Price’s weight, making fun of his disability, and joking about child sex killers. One officer, former sergeant Luke Thomas, was found to be one of the most active participants in the group and was described as “the most blameworthy of all the officers.” Thomas mocked Harvey’s weight, called a junior female officer “f****** ugly,” and joked about naming a dog after concentration camps.
The other officers involved included former acting sergeant Luke Allen, former constables Kelsey Buchan, Lee South, Darren Jenner, and Carlo Francisco. The group’s behavior was described as “obviously sarcastic” and “making fun of” Harvey’s disability, and some officers contributed to the conversation about naming a dog after concentration camps.
The case has caused widespread shock and outrage, with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan describing the messages as “vile” and saying that they fell far below the standards of the police service. Khan welcomed the ruling and emphasized that there is no place for racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, bullying, harassment, or any form of discrimination in the Met Police.
The case highlights the systemic and deeply ingrained problem of discrimination within the police force and the need for greater accountability and action to address such behavior.
