A POLICE unit who were recorded making dozens of sexist, racist and homophobic remarks was like a “lads pad” and an office “stuck in a time from 25 years ago”, a misconduct hearing has heard.

Six officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) North office at the Northern Police Investigation Centre, based in Basingstoke, are facing serious gross misconduct proceedings over the alleged comments – which included “bunch of gay c***s” and “p***y”.

The officers facing the charges are Retired Detective Inspector Tim Ireson, Detective Sergeant Oliver Lage, Detective Sergeant Gregory Willcox, former PC Craig Bannerman, trainee Detective Constable Andrew Ferguson and PC James Oldfield.

Some of the remarks were recorded using a bugging device between March 9 and April 2 in 2018, but others were discovered during a search of their work emails and phones given to them by Hampshire Constabulary.

Jason Beer QC, representing the constabulary, today read dozens of emails between the accused and others in the force.

In one email Mr Bannerman suggested he was leaving the department and referred to two of his colleagues including Detective Constable Sol Koranteng - who is not accused as part of the case.

Mr Bannerman said he was fed up of sitting between the "illegal”[DC Koranteng] and the “angry” [Officer N], he would be going “back to where I belong shooting innocents in the land of fun” and makes reference to “the one who won’t leave me alone and looks like Danny Glover [DC Koranteng].”

The hearing was told that on several occasions officers used the derogatory terms “bell end” and “pussies”

A private SOCU WhatsApp group has also become subject of the investigation, which saw PC Ferguson, PC Oldfield and Mr Bannerman make offensive remarks on their personal phones both in and out of work hours.

They made numerous jokes about DC Koranteng by making racist statements and sending videos and photos to each other claiming they contained the officer.

Hampshire Chronicle:

In one incident on May 22 2018 PC Oldfield posted a Photoshopped image of the Royal Wedding. In the background, a black man can be seen to be exposing his genitals. The caption accompanying the image “that’s where Sol was on Saturday.”

Detective Constable Andrew Ferguson sent an image to the group showing the Duke of Sussex having anal sex with the Duchess of Cambridge.

Mr Beer said: “The officer accepts that he posted this message. The image was meant as a joke. Any likeness of appearance was not based on hostility to either Koranteng or any race.”

Mr Beer said that the covert recording took place over 23 days with a stream of racist, sexual and culturally remarks “to last a lifetime”.

He added: “In that short period that strongly suggests of a culture that had become ingrained and normalised.”

The hearing was also told that DS Willcox sent 168 personal messages and received 262, on his work phone, much of which focussed on his role at Stockbridge Youth FC between September 1 2017 and June 5 2018.

Mr Beer said: “The fact that 168 of them were related to football rather tends to indicate that the officer was spending too much time thinking about Stockbridge FC rather than focusing on his role as a supervisor.”

Mr Ireson and DS Willcox also face claims that they failed to challenge any of the incidents breaching Standards of Professional Behaviour.

In his opening, Mr Beer read statements from other officers in the team, made during the investigation, with one colleague saying: “… I found the team often difficult to work with as Greg [DS Willcox] seemed to be part of the banter rather than challenging…The SOCU Office North just seems to be stuck in a time from 25 years ago…”

Another said: “Working in the SOCU(N) seems like a bit of a ‘lads pad…the F Word was literally like every other word…the office felt like a closed environment…[it] did intimidate me a bit. It was a closed environment with lots of swearing and banter.”

PC Oldfield is also alleged to have attended work on April 1 2018 while unfit for duty due to excessive alcohol consumption the previous evening/that morning.

Mr Beer said that Mr Ireson spoke to Oldfield after he asked not to be sent to help a colleague with a rape investigation in Southampton.

Oldfield is recorded saying: "I just don't really want to speak to anyone, I just don't want anyone to realise that I'm still pissed, (laughter), well not pissed, did I say that out loud?"

Mr Beer said that Ireson said to a colleague: "I'm sure by lunchtime he'll be fighting fit and raring to go and be a useful member of society, until then f*****."

Mr Beer said that Oldfield denied still being intoxicated when arriving at work, and Ireson did not consider him unfit for work or that he was under the influence of drink.

DS Willcox is also alleged to have falsely recorded hours and overtime on 23 March 2018 after he attended a driver’s awareness course and did not carry out his full shift.

The hearing continues.