Seven serving and former British Transport Police (BTP) officers have been sacked without notice over 'disturbing' WhatsApp messages that ridiculed women, disabled people, and even joked about hiding dead bodies.
The officers - PC James Elliot, PC Michael Lee, PC Steven Leung, PC Robert Whyte, PC Richard Wood, and former PCs Lee Williamson and David Ford - were all members of a WhatsApp chat called 'Team 3 Secret Service', which was discovered during a separate investigation into domestic abuse in October 2023.
The messages sent in the group were branded 'shocking' and 'offensive in almost every way possible' by senior police officials.
An internal misconduct hearing heard they made jokes about violence against women and girls, mocked victims, and even made references to BTP's own Chief Constable and the 'LGBTQI mafia'.
The worst of the messages included a horrifying suggestion to stab a waitress who had an anti-police tattoo, while others made light of sexual violence, serial killing, and physical injuries.
