A thirteenth Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed following an undercover investigation by a national broadcaster into the force's Charing Cross station in central London. PC Mason O'Connor was sacked after a disciplinary hearing determined he had breached professional standards through comments made to a female colleague. His dismissal marks the latest in a series of removals from the force stemming from the investigation that began in October 2025.
O'Connor was identified through a proactive wider investigation launched after the programme's broadcast. At a disciplinary panel hearing on Tuesday, evidence emerged that while off-duty at a public house, he had told a female colleague that he hoped she would be raped on her way home. The panel found him to have breached standards of professional behaviour across multiple areas: authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity, and discreditable conduct.
The undercover filming, which took place over seven months at the busy central London station, revealed a pattern of serious misconduct among officers. Those covertly recorded were documented calling for immigrants to be shot, boasting about excessive use of force, and making jokes about rape and sexual assault. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the behaviour captured as "totally unacceptable" when the investigation became public.
Scale of the investigation
The Charing Cross case has become one of the largest investigations ever undertaken by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). As of 26 August 2026, 12 Met officers and one Gloucestershire officer had already been dismissed or barred from the profession in the wake of the investigation. Beyond the 13 officers the Met has sacked, the IOPC confirmed that another two men, both former officers, had been found to have committed gross misconduct.
The policing watchdog said it was still investigating the conduct of a further 15 officers or police staff. Amanda Rowe, a senior official at the IOPC, stated:
This is one of our largest ever investigations in terms of the number of officers investigated.She added that
the sheer number of fast-tracked disciplinary proceedings show how seriously the IOPC and the Met, who held the misconduct hearings, are treating this matter.
Recent dismissals and ongoing proceedings
O'Connor's dismissal follows that of his colleague, PC Lloyd Hunter, who was dismissed from the force weeks earlier. In unaired footage from the investigation shared with the IOPC, Hunter was recorded saying he enjoyed "Tasering people" and expressing hatred towards homeless people. Both officers were dismissed for what Metropolitan Police Commander Simon Messinger described as their "appalling comments and attitudes."
According to an IOPC update from February 2026, nine officers had been found to have committed gross misconduct, and the Met had withdrawn proceedings for one sergeant who remained under investigation. By late August 2026, 10 officers had already gone through fast-tracked misconduct proceedings.
Immediate response and structural changes
Following the broadcast of the investigation in October 2025, the Met took swift action to address the culture at Charing Cross. The force suspended nine officers and one staff member within 48 hours of the programme airing, while two additional officers were removed from frontline duties. The Met also dismantled the Charing Cross custody team entirely, relocating 34 detention officers to other facilities.
Met Commander Messinger said the force would continue to support the IOPC investigation and emphasised the standards expected from all officers.
I hope this sends a very clear message about the standards we expect from all our officers and the Met's determination to improve our culture across the organisation,he stated.
What happens next
The investigation remains ongoing, with further misconduct hearings scheduled. Another officer was due to face a misconduct hearing on 15 September 2026, indicating that additional dismissals or disciplinary outcomes may follow in the coming weeks.
Key Facts:
- PC Mason O'Connor became the 13th officer dismissed following the undercover investigation at Charing Cross station
- The IOPC investigation is one of its largest ever, with 15 additional officers or police staff still under investigation
- The Met dismantled the Charing Cross custody team and relocated 34 detention officers following the broadcast
- Two former officers have been found to have committed gross misconduct, separate from those dismissed by the Met
- Further misconduct hearings are scheduled, with at least one due in mid-September 2026
