Policeman who mocked ‘millionaire’ Gary Lineker for ‘never having needed the NHS’ is found guilty of misconduct over vile racist tweets
- PC Edward Pitt, who worked for West Midlands Police, posted racist comments
- The officer made series of vile tweets between June 2017 and December 2018
- A misconduct hearing was told of 12 separate tweets from social media account
- Included one about Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj and the Windrush scandal
- Has now been told he will never be able to work for West Midlands Police again
PC Edward Pitt (pictured), who served with West Midlands Police, has now quit the force after serving for 12 years. But a misconduct hearing also means the father-of-one will never work for the force again
A police officer who made racist comments and attacked Gary Lineker on Twitter has been found guilty of gross misconduct.
PC Edward Pitt, who served with West Midlands Police, tweeted about sensitive issues including the New Zealand mosque shootings and the Windrush scandal.
And mocked Match of the Day host Lineker’s ignorance of the reality of the health service with a jibe about Romanian immigrants.
He said: ‘Living in millionaire’s row, clearly never been on an NHS ward where you can’t get a bed.’
He also said of the football pundit: ‘Can’t wait until March so this condescending **** shuts the **** up.’
The West Midlands Police misconduct hearing was told 12 separate tweets from his account, shared between June 2017 and December 2018, which were deemed to be ‘evidence of discrimination on the basis of race, religion and sex’.
He has now quit the force after serving for 12 years but the conclusion of the misconduct hearing means the father-of-one will never be able to work for West Midlands Police again.
Harry Ireland, chairing the misconduct hearing, said PC Pitt, who worked at various suburban police stations in the Birmingham area during his career, had clearly failed to read the force’s policy on social media.
He said there was ‘no doubt that the tweets seriously affect the public’s confidence in the police’.
He added: ‘The content of the tweets were interpreted as racist, sexist or otherwise offensive.
‘The standards of professional behaviour have been breached and this amounts to gross misconduct.
‘We find the conduct was intentional – with clear evidence of discrimination on the basis of race, religion and sex.
‘It was premeditated and sustained over a long period of time.’
At the hearing on Wednesday, Pitt accepted that the 12 inflammatory tweets were all made from his account and sent by him while he was a serving officer (pictured West Midlands Police headquarters in Birmingham)
Some of the other tweets considered inappropriate included comments about an Asian driver who caused the deaths of five people in Birmingham and a tweet about Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj.
Others included comments on New Zealand’s immigration policy in relation to terror attacks and tweeting that he was hoping for some paid ‘snow days off work’ after heavy snowfall.
On another occasion he criticised the resources used investigating anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.
And he also tweeted about the Windrush scandal which was judged to be mocking the Caribbean community.
The hearing was also told that PC Pitt shared video showing a camel being slaughtered during a Muslim festival.
And later a comment about a man who attacked a child stating he would assault him ‘no questions asked’.
At the hearing on Wednesday, Pitt, who had tweeted about 6,000 times to his 150 followers, accepted that the 12 inflammatory tweets were all made from his account and sent by him while he was a serving officer, adding that he was regretful of what he had posted.
He said: ‘I guess in my own time and private life I treat that as such. I try not to bring work into my private life as I try not to bring my private life to work.’
In a warning to other police officers, Mr Ireland said: ‘Although there is evidence of remorse, we have to maintain public confidence in the police and the only sanction available would have been dismissal without notice, had he still been a police officer.
‘We are grateful this was brought to our attention, and once again we would ask that every officer – regardless of rank – is made aware of the dangers of misuse of social media.’
In response to the hearing, West Midlands Police said: ‘People working for West Midlands Police must always practice the high standards that the public expect both on and off duty.
‘It is clear this officer has fallen far below that standard.
‘All forms of discriminatory behaviour and conduct are completely inexcusable and former constable Pitt will now be placed on the barred list.’
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