Silenced for Speaking Out

 

Silenced for Speaking Out

Recently, I have been placed on phone restrictions by the prison service following comments I made about the probation service. The justification given was that by mentioning certain individuals by name, I had allegedly put their lives at risk.

What makes this situation even more concerning is that the comment in question was made over six months ago. For half a year, nothing was said. No warning was issued. No immediate action was taken. Yet only now am I being punished for it. That delay raises serious questions about whether this is truly about safety — or about something else entirely.

The names I referred to are already publicly available information. They were not confidential, nor were they exposed unlawfully. Despite this, I am facing restrictions as though I have committed a serious and immediate breach.

Under these new limitations, I am allowed either nine phone calls per day or a total of two hours on the phone — whichever comes first. Once I reach that limit, I am cut off from further communication. To someone on the outside, that might sound reasonable. But in prison, the phone is not a luxury — it is a lifeline. It is how we maintain family relationships, protect our mental health, manage legal matters, and remain connected to the world beyond these walls.

These restrictions feel disproportionate and unjust. The timing alone makes it difficult to ignore the possibility that this is less about safety and more about silencing criticism. Speaking about my experiences — even when they are uncomfortable for the authorities — should not result in punitive measures months later.

This is not just about phone access. It is about fairness. It is about the right to raise concerns without fear of delayed retaliation. And it is about being treated not just as a prisoner, but as a human being with fundamental rights.

When punishment comes six months after the fact, it doesn’t feel like protection. It feels like suppression. And that is something worth challenging.

Gang that used drones for prison drops jailed

 A gang that used drones to smuggle drugs, weapons and mobile phones into prisons has been jailed.

An estimated 75% of drone drops across London's prisons were due to the seven men who targeted prisons including Wormwood Scrubs, Brixton, Pentonville and Wandsworth.

Shafaghatullah Mohseni, 29, Hashim Al-Hussaini, 28, Mohammed Hamoud, 22, Faiz Salah, 29, Zahar Essaghi, 51, Mustafa Ibrahim, 30, and Emanuel Fisniku, 25, were sentenced at Harrow Crown Court.

Det Insp John Cowell said: "This highly organised gang thought they were outsmarting the police and prison authorities. What they didn't know is they were subject to sustained specialist surveillance by Met officers."

All seven men admitted their roles in a "serious, organised, and prolific enterprise" to supply Class B and C drugs, and conveying list A and B articles into prisons. The hearing was held at Hendon Magistrates' Court, where some Harrow Crown Court cases are being heard.

The men would travel by car to the prisons, often in the early hours of the morning, and fly packages filled with contraband through cell windows.

CCTV footage shows some of the gang attaching fishing wire to a drone which was tied to a package and melted using a lighter to secure it. This was then flown to the prisoners in their cells.

The gang also targeted prisons in Norwich, Leicester, Onley in Northamptonshire and Bedford.

At the centre of the conspiracy was Mohseni, an Afghan national who was granted leave to remain as a child in the UK in 2003.

He was sentenced to five years and three months and will serve at least 40% of that.

He was described in court as having the leading role behind almost every drop, organising flights, operating the drones, co-ordinating drivers and lookouts, handling payments totalling more than £30,000, and communicating directly with prisoners using illicit mobile phones inside the jails.

His defence barrister argued the 29-year-old had built up debts of about £30,000 from a gambling addiction and feared for his safety.

The court heard that one drone crashed and was seized by the authorities at HMP Wandsworth.

It contained cannabis, capsules of Pregabalin known as "new Valium", and tablets of Alprazolam commonly sold under the brand name Xanax.

Another package was intercepted inside Wandsworth Prison, after police notified staff of a drone flight to a specific cell. The package contained cannabis, cigarettes and five iPhones.

Financial investigations showed money being transferred from associates of serving prisoners to fund the operation.

Last year, the chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor warned of the increased risk drones would pose for smuggling weapons and drugs into prisons.

'Significant shortfalls' in probation service

 There are "significant shortfalls" in the West Midlands probation service, inspectors have found.

HM Inspectorate of Probation undertook a review of public protection measures across the region, inspecting 84 cases.

Martin Jones, chief inspector of probation, said: "Despite strong leadership commitment and clear strategic priorities to improve public protection, the delivery of work to keep people safe was not yet meeting the required standard.

"Staff understood its importance however, worryingly, this was not reflected consistently in the quality of assessment, planning, and delivery."

A report by the inspectorate said its findings revealed significant shortfalls in practice across the region, with effective work to keep people safe being evident in 49% of the assignments inspected.

Of the cases they inspected, most involved white men, aged 36-55, with violence and sexual offending the most frequent offence types, with concerns about domestic abuse and risk to children also prevalent across the sample.

According to the inspectorate, child safeguarding practice in the service was found to be "underdeveloped and an area for urgent attention".

However, inspectors found that domestic abuse information sharing had improved as a result of joint efforts by probation and police leaders.

'Systemic barriers'

The report added that managers were not consistently identifying practice deficits and opportunities to protect the public were missed.

Recruitment was also hampered by excessive vetting delays, while pay and workloads were frequently cited as retention concerns.

While staffing challenges were less acute than in other areas of the country, resourcing was found to have remained a challenge for rural areas in the region such as Herefordshire, which had acute recruitment difficulties and resulted in high workloads.

Jones said: "Systemic barriers, including resourcing, organisational complexity and insufficient multi-agency communication remained significant challenges for the West Midlands region to overcome.

"Strengthening the skills and improving the confidence of practitioners will be essential in ensuring the region can consistently meet its public protection responsibilities."

The report made seven recommendations, with four for the West Midlands region, including to develop practitioners' confidence and skills in the use of professional curiosity, and using challenging conversations to identify and respond to indicators of risk effectively.

There are a further three recommendations for the HM Prison and Probation Service, including to develop a national strategic approach to information sharing with police and children's services.

Prisoner died after vape caused cell fire

 A prisoner died after a vaping device caught fire in her cell, an inquest has been told.

Clare Dupree, 48, from Cardiff, died on 28 December 2022, at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, two days after a fire in her cell at HMP Eastwood Park.

The inquest at Avon Coroner's Court heard her cell was not equipped with an automatic fire detection (AFD) device, and only battery-powered smoke detectors were outside the cells.

Senior Coroner Maria Voisin was told prison staff were unable to rescue her due to the heat, and it was 35 minutes before firefighters were able to safely remove Dupree.

Members of her family gave statements to the coroner describing Dupree as "delightful and sensitive", but said she had significant mental health problems.

She suffered depression as a teenager which led to periods of substance abuse, and periods being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

In a statement read to the inquest, Dupree's sister, Rachel Taylor, said: "She would be sectioned once a year and spend time in hospital.

"Each time her life got better and she would stop taking drugs.

"In May 2022 she was sectioned to time in prison for three months after threatening a security guard with a knife, when he caught her trying to steal a pregnancy test."

"On 28 December, police told me there was an incident and Clare had been in a fire."

Pathologist Dr Russell Delaney told the inquest Dupree died from a hypoxic ischemic brain injury and a lower respiratory tract infection.

It is not clear whether earlier removal from her cell would have improved her chances of survival, he added.

The Ministry of Justice made a statement explaining that an AFD is necessary to reduce risk of harm from fires.

On 26 December Dupree's cell was not equipped with an in-cell AFD.

The inquest continues.

Soham murderer Ian Huntley in serious condition after makeshift weapon attack

 Soham double murderer Ian Huntley remains in hospital in a serious condition after being attacked with a makeshift weapon by another inmate.

The BBC understands that triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, is suspected of attacking Huntley.

Huntley, 52, has suffered significant head trauma from his injuries and is undergoing treatment.

He is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for murdering schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002.

In an update on Friday, Durham Constabulary said there had been "no change in the 52-year-old man's condition overnight - he remains in hospital in a serious condition".

Previously police said a male prisoner in his mid-40s suspected of carrying out the attack was "in detention" but had not been arrested "at this stage".

The force also confirmed a police investigation is under way and that detectives are liaising with staff at the prison.

Sources have told the BBC Huntley was found lying in a pool of blood after being bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon at a prison workshop at HMP Frankland - the high security prison in County Durham.

Russell is serving a whole-life prison term for murdering Julie Williams, her son David Williams and Nicole McGregor, whose body was found in woodland near Leamington Spa.

He had admitted the murders during a week-long spree in October 2020.

This is not the first time Huntley has been attacked at the prison - he was slashed across the throat in 2010 - and needed 21 stitches.

The prison - nicknamed Monster Mansion- houses some of the most dangerous criminals including murderers and rapists.

Huntley was also attacked in 2005 by a convicted murderer who chucked boiling water over him at HMP Wakefield.

As Huntley lies in hospital with serious injuries from the attack, many will be remembering the horror of what he did more than 20 years ago.

In the commuter town of Soham in Cambridgeshire, Ian Huntley killed two ten-year-old girls in the summer of 2002.

Holly and Jessica had been at a family barbeque. It is believed they were on their way to buy sweets when Huntley, then aged 28, lured them back to his home and killed them.

The photo of the girls he killed - in their red Manchester United football kits - is etched in the minds of many who vividly remember their disappearance and murder.

It was taken by Holly's mum Nicola just an hour-and-a-half before they were last seen. It dominated news reports at the time as a nationwide search for them took place.

Four hundred officers worked full-time on the case. Hundreds more volunteers joined the search but nearly a fortnight after they disappeared – the girls' bodies were found in a ditch in Suffolk.

Huntley was arrested the same day. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 40 years for the double murders - with the judge saying "in your lies and manipulation up to this very day, you have increased the suffering you have caused the two families".

His girlfriend Maxine Carr was also jailed in 2003 after being found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice for giving him a false alibi. She has since been released.

Prison officer given suspended term for inmate affair

 A prison worker who told an inmate she loved him and had sex with him while he was out on licence has been given a 10-month suspended sentence.

Megan Breen, 23, an operational support staff member with direct contact with prisoners, began an inappropriate relationship with an inmate between February and May 2022 at HMP Prescoed in Usk, Monmouthshire.

The court heard how she had met the inmate for drinks in Liverpool during a trip for her 20th birthday with two other prison colleagues.

At Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, Breen, who is now pregnant, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation and pay £500 in costs.

The court heard Breen had received a week's induction, including training on the codes of conduct which clearly prohibited relationships with prisoners.

Concerns were raised by a colleague after Breen accessed the prison database to find a photo of the inmate and then admitted she had slept with him during a trip to Liverpool.

The court heard how the prisoner, jailed for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, had met Breen while on home leave in the Merseyside-Cheshire area where they went for drinks before going back to her hotel room.

The pair exchanged hundreds of messages, and Breen also met his parents before her colleague reported the relationship to prison security, the court was told.

Messages found on the inmate's prison-issued Nokia phone, including heart emojis and expressions of love, confirmed a romantic relationship.

Police seized the phone, and a note with Breen's contact details was also found in the inmate's cell.

Breen admitted to the "short-lived relationship", saying some staff and prisoners were aware.

A police investigation also confirmed Breen had made several journeys to Liverpool in April, after the prisoner was released on licence in March 2022.

She initially gave no comment in interviews but later pleaded guilty before trial.

Scott Bowen, defending, said Breen was a single mother, a carer for another child, recently discovered she is pregnant, and described the case as one that would "haunt her".

"She made it clear it was the most difficult morning of her life saying goodbye to her son, and knowing she may not see him for the forseeable," Mr Bowen added.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said Breen showed "remorse", did not pose a danger to the public, and noted her pregnancy and childcare duties as key reasons for suspending the sentence.

She said immediate custody would harm others, including Breen's son, unborn child, and the child she cares for, making this an "exceptional case".

A second charge of unauthorised computer access was ordered to lie on file.

**Ex-Prison Officer Faces Charges Over Secret Calls and Texts With Inmate Involved in Machete Attack**

**Ex-Prison Officer Faces Charges Over Secret Calls and Texts With Inmate Involved in Machete Attack**

In a shocking development that highlights serious lapses in prison security and oversight, Heather Pinchbeck, a 28-year-old former prison officer, has been charged with illicit communication with an inmate she met while working at HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire. The allegations involve her allegedly exchanging phone calls, texts, and nude images with Joseph Hardy, a prisoner serving a 14-year sentence for a brutal machete attack.

The charges against Pinchbeck accuse her of willfully abusing her position of trust by using illegal communication devices to contact Hardy, who was involved in a violent incident that resulted in a man losing his leg. Hardy, 31, was convicted of using a machete in an argument that turned deadly, inflicting severe injuries including a fractured skull, with his victim’s leg being severed entirely.

The alleged misconduct took place between February and March 2023, during which Pinchbeck is accused of engaging in illicit communication with Hardy, violating prison regulations and public trust. The court proceedings reveal that Hardy has already pleaded guilty to assault and is now facing further charges related to the illicit communications.

Pinchbeck, who now works as a business management executive, has emphasized her background in the Prison Service, claiming her experience provided her with valuable administrative expertise. She is employed by MIH Group, a reputable company, and has previously been recognized for her qualifications in business administration.

The case raises concerns about the security protocols within prisons and the potential for staff to abuse their authority. It also underscores the risks posed when communication channels meant to be strictly controlled are exploited. Authorities are still determining whether Pinchbeck was dismissed or resigned from her prison role amid the ongoing investigation.

As legal proceedings continue, the case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding integrity within correctional facilities and the potential consequences when breaches occur at the highest levels of trust.

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PRISON OFFICER FLIRTED WITH CONVICTED MURDERER OVER “TIGHT TROUSERS” — ROMANCE EXPOSED AFTER ILLEGAL PHONE FOUND IN CELL

 PRISON OFFICER FLIRTED WITH CONVICTED MURDERER OVER “TIGHT TROUSERS” — ROMANCE EXPOSED AFTER ILLEGAL PHONE FOUND IN CELL

It began behind locked doors on a prison wing designed to separate danger from discipline, but ended in a courtroom where trust, authority and professional boundaries were laid bare.

A female prison officer who flirted with a convicted murderer — including asking whether her trousers were “too tight” — has avoided jail after an illicit relationship was uncovered inside one of Britain’s prisons.

Jasmine Hope, 31, was working as a prison officer at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire when she became involved with a male inmate identified only as IM, a prisoner serving time for murder.

The relationship began in May 2023, shortly after Hope started her role at the Category B men’s prison.

Nottingham Crown Court heard that Hope was assigned to D wing, where IM was housed, and it was there that professional boundaries slowly collapsed.

What started as inappropriate familiarity developed into flirtatious communication, secret messaging and sexualised exchanges — all strictly forbidden within the prison system.

The affair remained hidden until January 2024, when prison staff discovered an illegal mobile phone inside the prisoner’s cell.

When investigators examined the device, they found it contained messages, WhatsApps and voice notes exchanged between Hope and the inmate.

The contents shocked officers.

Prosecutor Lauren Fisher told the court the messages revealed an ongoing flirtation that crossed far beyond casual conversation.

In one exchange, Hope asked the prisoner: “Can you remember when you FaceTimed me and we were being naughty on video?”

Another message referred to an incident inside the prison itself, where Hope had allegedly asked the inmate: “Are my trousers too tight?”

According to the court, the prisoner replied: “You just made my c--- twitch.”

The judge was told the messages were sexually explicit in tone and completely incompatible with Hope’s position of authority.

Even more concerning, prosecutors said the relationship did not end when Hope was suspended from duty.

She was formally suspended from her role in July 2024, yet forensic examination of her phone showed she continued communicating with the murderer as late as September that year.

The court heard that the continued contact demonstrated a sustained breach of trust rather than a momentary lapse of judgment.

In a police interview, Hope admitted the messages were “flirty” and said she felt embarrassed by their content.

She claimed she had been going through “a really hard time” emotionally and mentally during the period of the relationship.

Despite this, prosecutors stressed that prison officers receive extensive training on professional boundaries, corruption risks and the dangers of manipulation by inmates — particularly those convicted of serious violent crimes.

Hope pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, one of the most serious offences available when public servants abuse their position.

Sentencing her, Recorder Balraj Bhatia KC told the court that her actions had the potential to undermine public confidence in the prison system.

He said her behaviour represented a significant breach of trust, adding that prison officers hold positions of power that must never be exploited.

The judge told Hope the only reason she avoided immediate custody was that the relationship had not become physical.

Had it crossed that line, he said, a prison sentence would have been unavoidable.

Instead, Hope was handed a six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

She was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and attend 15 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions.

Addressing her directly, the judge said she had shown remorse and shame for what she had done, but emphasised the seriousness of the offence.

Cases involving inappropriate relationships between prison staff and inmates continue to raise major concerns across the justice system.

Such relationships can compromise security, facilitate contraband, expose staff to coercion and place other officers at risk.

For IM — a convicted murderer — the illegal phone alone represented a serious breach of prison security.

For Hope, the consequences were career-ending.

Suspended, convicted and publicly named, her actions have left her barred from frontline prison work and permanently marked by a criminal conviction.

The case stands as another stark reminder of how easily authority can be eroded when boundaries blur behind bars.

Should prison officers who engage in relationships with dangerous offenders face automatic jail?

And is the current system doing enough to protect staff before lines are crossed?

Coroner Concerned About The Risk of Future Deaths From Racist Violence in Prisons

 

Coroner Concerned About The Risk of Future Deaths From Racist Violence in Prisons

The Assistant Coroner for Southwark has issued a lengthy Report to Prevent Future Deaths following the inquest into the murder of Sundeep Ghuman by his racist cell mate at Belmarsh prison in 2020.

36 year old Sundeep was in a triple cell inside Belmarsh prison when on 7 February 2020 two prisoners were moved from another wing to share with him. They were cousins and one of them,  Steven Hilden, was known to be racist. On 18 February 2020, while all 3 were locked in the cell Hilden assaulted Sundeep with a table leg causing unsurvivable head injuries. Sundeep was taken to the Royal London Hospital but died the following day.

Sundeep’s mother, our client,  embarked upon a long journey to seek justice and accountability for her. First through criminal proceedings, and then through the inquest.

The jury at the inquest into his death concluded that there were failings in the assessment of the risk presented by Hilden’s racism and that the relevant policy was not followed.

The Coroner has now issued a Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths covering the following issues:

• The National Cell Share Risk Assessment Policy

The risk assessment policy, which was specifically introduced to protect against racist violence following the murder Zahid Mubarek in Feltham in 2000, was not being followed at Belmarsh or High Down (where Hilden was previously been). Both were instead operating their own different systems. This was not known by those with responsibility for the policy nationally, despite procedures to audit and monitor compliance with the policy.

Staff at Belmarsh emphasised the need to maximise occupancy by sharing cells and were not aware that the guiding principle of the policy was one of caution. This led to people sharing cells when they should not.

In his report, the coroner stated this demonstrated a “a systemic failing of training and operational understanding, and a disconnect between those responsible for creating and maintaining the policy and those who take operational decisions within the prisons”.

• NOMIS Alerts – a marker placed on a digital file

Alerts on a prisoner’s electronic prison file (known as NOMIS) were another measure introduced in response to Zahid’s murder.

The Coroner found there was a lack of understanding and consistency on how an active alert for racism should be approached when assessing suitability of cell sharing.

An unstructured approach and lack of training has created a risk that an active alert may be inappropriately disregarded, leading to potentially fatal racist violence.

• Considering risks beyond the minimum required by the policy

The evidence given at the inquest was that the threshold for making someone High Risk to share a cell based on a history of violence was a very high one, as was the threshold for someone being regarded as vulnerable.

The view of those responsible for the policy is that it provides a baseline only and judgements should be made beyond this to minimise problems caused by cell sharing. By contrast, staff at Belmarsh considered cell moves to be a daily occurrence, governed only by the cell share risk assessment with no further consideration necessary or appropriate.

The Coroner found this gives rise to a risk that someone prone to violence will share a cell with someone who is at risk of violence. This risk is heightened if the other person has a level of vulnerability.

Additionally, despite Spice use being widespread and officers being well aware of the prisoners who use it in their cells this currently has no bearing on cell sharing suitability. Which means that, as the inquest heard, someone like Sundeep who was trying to stay away from Spice was placed in a cell with  known Spice users.

• A concern for prisoners at Belmarsh given the evidence of widespread violence and drug use in the prison.

The inquest heard about widespread levels of prisoner-on-prisoner violence and use of drugs, especially Spice at HMP Belmarsh. The evidence of staff was that this was unavoidable. However, this did not correspond with findings in adjudications or criminal proceedings. Hilden’s history included multiple instances of violence and racism which were recorded in intelligence reports and on NOMIS but many didn’t proceed to an adjudication suggesting staff do not consider that they can always take robust action and formal measures.

The Coroner expressed a concern that the Prison “may not currently be capable of providing a safe and secure environment for prisoners accommodated there, and that there is a risk of future deaths from drug use or violence”.

A reply from the Secretary of State for Justice and the Governor of HMP Belmarsh is due soon.

DPG’s Jo Eggleton has said

“It is deeply concerning that the very systems introduced following the racist murder of Zahid Mubarek in 2000, failed to protect Sundeep twenty-five years later. The similarities between the two cases are striking and troubling.”

Prison worker jailed over affair with inmate

 A prison support worker who had an affair with an inmate has been jailed for six months.

Heidi Bessant, 38, began a relationship with the man while she was working at HMP Leyhill, a category D open prison in South Gloucestershire, in November 2023.

Their affair continued until June 2024 when an investigation into the pair was launched by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

Bessant, from Chepstow, was jailed at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting misconduct in a public office.

Two rapists among Met officers not properly vetted

 Two serial rapists were among 131 officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police who committed crimes or misconduct after they were not properly vetted, a review has found.

David Carrick, one of the UK's worst sex offenders, and Cliff Mitchell were among the police officers who were not properly checked. Mitchell was allowed to join the force in 2020 after a vetting panel, partly aimed at improving diversity, overturned a decision to reject him despite a previous rape allegation.

The cases were revealed in a vetting review of the 10 years up to the end of March 2023.

Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams acknowledged that the "public will be really concerned" by the lapse in vetting procedures.

She added that the report was part of "ongoing work to demand the highest standards across the Met".

Other serious crimes committed by officers and staff included drug use, violent attacks and affray.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Abandoning vetting checks on officers was a dereliction of the Met's duty to keep London safe.

"I have asked the Chief Inspector of Constabulary to carry out an inspection as I seek to restore trust in the force's ability to protect and serve the public."

Carrick, who was given 37 life sentences for his crimes, was not properly vetted during a vetting renewal in 2017 – he first joined the Met in 2001 – with checks failing to reveal an allegation of domestic abuse against him.

Mitchell, who carried out a "campaign of rape" on two victims, was recruited despite an earlier allegation of raping a child.

His recruitment was initially refused after failing the vetting process due to the allegation but his application was looked at by a vetting panel, which has since been abolished.

Part of its aim was to tackle disproportionality in the workforce. The panel, first established in 2018, overturned decisions to refuse vetting of 114 officers and staff, of whom 25 went on to commit misconduct or have been accused of a crime.

The review said senior officers faced political pressure and had to meet recruitment targets or lose funding to other forces.

The review published on Thursday found that thousands of police officers and staff were not properly checked amid pressure during a national recruitment drive from July 2019 to March 2023.

Senior officers at the Met chose not to meet national guidelines amid a scramble to find more than 4,500 recruits.

The deviations from standard practice meant thousands of references were not checked, and shortcuts in vetting led to there being some officers and staff who should not have been in the force. This contributed to "police-perpetrated harm" and damaged public trust, the review said.

Under the Police Uplift Programme, forces in England and Wales were expected to recruit 20,000 officers within three and a half years to replace those cut during austerity, and funding was ringfenced and lost if targets were not met.

"Senior leaders embarked on an assertive approach towards hiring and vetting practices in order to meet what would become unachievable recruitment targets and grow the Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) workforce at pace," the report stated.

"The focus appeared to be on speed and output; this unintentionally compromised integrity."

The report said 5,073 officers and staff were not properly vetted, of whom 4,528 had no Special Branch vetting checks, 431 had no Ministry of Defence checks and 114 had a vetting refusal overturned by a Met internal panel.

Another 3,338 who were due for vetting renewal underwent only limited checks.

The Met estimated that about 1,200 people who joined the force may have had their vetting refused under normal practices, out of around 27,300 applications.

Separately, 17,355 officers and staff did not have their references properly checked, if at all, between 2018 and April 2022.

The Met has not checked each of these files, but estimates that about 250 of these employees would not have got a job if their references had been checked.

'Farcical situation'

The review found that senior officers had faced political pressure and had to meet recruitment targets or lose funding to other forces.

The report concluded: "There were deviations from policy and practice, overconfidence in the ability to recruit at scale and lack of resources in vetting increased risk."

Since Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley took on the UK's top policing job in September 2022, about 1,500 officers have been sacked in what has been dubbed as a clean-up of the force.

Williams said: "In publishing this report today, we are being open and transparent about past vetting and recruitment practices that led, in some cases, to unsuitable people joining the Met.

"We have been honest with Londoners on many occasions about previous shortcomings in our professional standards approach.

"We found that some historical practices did not meet the strengthened hiring and vetting standards we have today. We identified these issues ourselves and have fixed them quickly while making sure any risk to the public has been properly and effectively managed."

She added: "The Met recruits hundreds of officers and staff every year, the overwhelming majority of exemplary character who are dedicated to protecting the public."

Paula Dodds, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: "Today's report illustrates a farcical situation in which hitting a numerical target of recruits has taken precedence over normal checks and balances.

"The good, brave and hard-working colleagues we represent are the first to say that the small minority of officers who are not fit to serve should not be in the police service."

Can the Met rebuild trust?

Analysis by Sima Kotecha, senior UK correspondent

In recent years, critics have questioned how so many "bad apples" have been able to find employment in Britain's largest force.

The review's findings won't be surprising to them. Some have raised serious doubts about those very vetting processes, accusing them in the past of being "slack".

The concern now is how many who shouldn't be in the force because they would have failed the checks that weren't made, are still there?

The Met says the numbers of those are small but some will argue it only takes one person to break the law and do something horrendous such as commit rape or murder.

These revelations could fuel further mistrust in the force - and some Londoners are likely to ask how they can have confidence in their officers when these errors were made.

The Met police will hope their response to the review that they've strengthened their processes since the mistakes were made will ease some of those worries.