A Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed after shocking undercover footage captured him expressing extreme racist, violent and discriminatory views while on duty in a central London custody suite.
Police Constable Philip Neilson, who was based within the Central West Command Unit, was sacked for gross misconduct following the broadcast of a BBC Panorama investigation on 1 October 2025.
The programme aired secret footage recorded by an undercover BBC journalist posing as a Designated Detention Officer at Charing Cross Police Station, revealing disturbing conversations and behaviour among officers tasked with safeguarding detainees.
During the footage, Neilson was seen making racially charged and violent remarks, alongside other comments that breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour under Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Discreditable Conduct, and Equality and Diversity.
The misconduct panel found his actions so serious that dismissal was justified, stating that his words and behaviour fundamentally undermined public confidence in the police service.
Metropolitan Police Service
- Stats since 1st January 2022
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837 Misconduct Hearings
89% held in public
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS / "the Met") is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement in Greater London, excluding the square mile of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police.
