Met Police officer sacked over vile comments about homeless people

Metropolitan Police officer PC Lloyd Hunter has been sacked from the force following a misconduct hearing held in Sutton, south London, on Wednesday. The hearing found that Hunter had made derogatory comments about homeless people and expressed an eagerness to use his Taser.

Undercover Filming at Charing Cross

The behaviour came to light after covert filming by a BBC undercover journalist at Charing Cross police station in November 2024. Hunter, then 23, was filmed making comments such as Tasering people was "just so much fun" and that he wanted to "get rid of" homeless people. He also stated he would like to arrest homeless individuals on Oxford Street weekly, leading to their imprisonment. The journalist had spent seven months posing as a detention officer at the central London station.

While Hunter was not featured in the BBC Panorama programme that aired in October 2025, his actions were investigated after the BBC shared unaired footage with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The misconduct hearing was told that Hunter had recently completed his Taser training. He apologised for his comments during the hearing, describing them as "abhorrent" and suggesting he made them to try and make friends with the reporter.

Consequences and Wider Investigation

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Carl Galvin, who chaired the hearing in Sutton, ruled that Hunter's behaviour constituted gross misconduct and dismissed him without notice, also barring him from re-entering the profession. Stephen Morley, presenting the case against Hunter, stated that the officer had "failed dismally" with his "vile comments", which would "horrify" the public, especially vulnerable homeless individuals.

Hunter's dismissal is the twelfth instance of a Metropolitan Police officer being sacked or barred following the BBC Panorama investigation. The IOPC is continuing to investigate nine other officers in relation to the programme, with three criminal investigations underway. Another officer is scheduled to face a misconduct hearing on 15 September. IOPC director of engagement Amanda Rowe stated that such comments, whether made on or off duty, are unacceptable and damage public confidence in police officers.

The BBC Panorama programme followed an earlier IOPC investigation in 2022 that uncovered evidence of misogyny, homophobia, and sexual harassment at Charing Cross police station.