Two Metropolitan Police Service officers have been required to resign after a man complained about being racially abused in a south-east London police station.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission managed the investigation into the allegations made. The Metropolitan Police board required one police constable to resign for three breaches of the Police Code of Conduct. The officer was found to have breached the code on politeness and tolerance for referring to the complainant in a racist way, and also of bringing the Metropolitan Police into discredit.

A second constable was required to resign for failing to oppose the behaviour and also failing to report it. He was also found to have failed to reach the required standard in respect of honesty and integrity in that he submitted a prepared statement which falsely stated that he did not see or hear the offending behaviour.

The incident occurred at around 12.40 a.m. on 1 July 2005 just before the complainant was brought into custody at Plumstead police station after being arrested.

He was in the holding area just outside Plumstead custody suite during which time it is alleged that the constable, who had been in the rear yard at the time, racially abused him.

The man complained about this to the custody sergeant. Three police officers, who had witnessed the incident, came forward and reported it to another custody sergeant and stated they had seen the alleged incident of racial abuse.

The second constable, who was required to resign, also witnessed the incident in the custody suite but did not come forward. He only admitted to seeing the incident when he was approached by an inspector.

IPCC Commissioner Mehmuda Mian Pritchard said: "There is no place for racist behaviour in the modern police service. The two officers have brought disgrace upon themselves and done a great disservice to policing in south-east London. It is very pleasing that three colleagues challenged the officer's behaviour and were not willing to tolerate it. I commend them for speaking up and reporting what happened."