London's Metropolitan Police said on Thursday that Britain's police watchdog had decided not to investigate an incident in which the car of a Black athlete was stopped in the capital earlier this month for the second time.
Portuguese 400m runner Ricardo dos Santos was stopped in the early hours of Aug. 14 by officers on a routine patrol who said they were concerned about a driver possibly using a phone at the wheel. Read full story
Dos Santos, who posted video clips of the incident on Twitter, criticised the police. The Met, who voluntarily referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said they would instead hold their own investigation.
"The Independent Office for Police Conduct has decided it does not need to investigate a vehicle stop by Met officers," the Met said in a statement.
"The IOPC have returned this complaint to the Met to investigate. This investigation will be led by the Directorate of Professional Standards."
Five British police officers are facing a gross misconduct hearing after a 2020 incident in which dos Santos and British sprinter Bianca Williams were stopped, searched and handcuffed, raising questions over the use of force and racial profiling.
The IOPC is an independent body that handles and investigates complaints made against police in England and Wales. Authorities can refer the cases to the watchdog whether or not a complaint has been made.
(Reuters)
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.