Lewisham policeman fired for racist texts during London riots

A Lewisham police officer has been fired for sending racist texts during the London riots of 2011, which engulfed this area. The Guardian reports:

PC George Cooper, 41, who worked for the armed parliamentary and diplomatic protection unit (SO6), and Lewisham-based PC Stephen Newbury, 49, were found by a panel to have sent “racist and discriminatory” messages.

Both were dismissed from the Metropolitan police without notice following a public misconduct hearing on Wednesday. The misconduct hearing was told that at the height of the 2011 riots in London, Newbury was sick with tonsillitis when he was asked him if he was at work.

He texted: “Off mate, though had shit loads of missed calls. Papa Lima [Lewisham] can burn as far as I’m concerned, along with all the spades.”

Newbury was found to have sent 24 inappropriate text messages to another serving officer, while Cooper sent eight such messages. Most of the messages were not revealed in the hearing and Scotland Yard refused to release further details of their content.