London: Britain's Metropolitan police have launched an inquiry into fresh allegations that it has allowed a racist culture to develop unchecked in its ranks, with black and Asian officers facing insults, discrimination and intimidation by white colleagues.

The inquiry will be headed by the assistant commissioner of the force, Tarique Ghaffur, Britain's most senior Asian officer.

"They will as a matter of urgent priority review recruitment and training procedures at Hendon," a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said today (Nov 2). "The Met will not tolerate racists and is determined to ensure that people are treated fairly both internally and in its interactions with the public."

The latest allegations were made in a report, which details about 20 cases of black and Asian officers and civilian staff across the force who have felt that they have been discriminated against.

In one case, an Asian officer was called 'Paki' (a term declared by court as derogatory) by a colleague and in another, a black receptionist was arrested under suspicion of stealing a purse. The charges were later dropped.

The damning report, obtained by 'The Observer', says that the Metropolitan police has not done enough to eradicate racism, has a poor image with black and Asian people, both inside and outside the force and often approaches grievances from ethnic minority staff with 'apathy and misdirection'.

The report says a greater proportion of black and Asian officers leave the force during their training or probationary period than equivalent white officers.

It quotes an officer at the force's training centre in Hendon, North London, allegedly saying to one Asian trainee; "If one of my daughters came home with a black man I'd probably kick him out of the house."

The report, 'What is Happening to Our Ethnic Minorities?' will re-ignite the debate about racism in the police sparked by the BBC documentary, 'The Secret Policeman', which was largely filmed at Bruche training centre in Warrington, Cheshire.

In October, the programme showed one police officer donning a Ku Klux Klan-style hood and showing how he would 'kill a Paki'.

The report by the Metropolitan Police Black Police Association, which has been handed to the force commissioner, Sir John Stevens, says that problems exist across the force, particularly at Hendon, Britain's leading training centre, dealing with more than 3,000 police officers a year.

PTI