London Bridge Terror Attack Officer Dismissed Over Offensive Traveller Messages
A police officer who was among the first responders to the devastating 2017 London Bridge terror attack has been dismissed from the British Transport Police for gross misconduct. Detective Constable Mark Luker was found to have sent offensive messages about Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities in WhatsApp groups, using derogatory language that the misconduct panel ruled was discriminatory.
Offensive Language in WhatsApp Exchanges
The misconduct panel heard that DC Luker participated in a WhatsApp group named "Selbie Gumshoes" with other members of the Major Serious and Organised Crime team. In one message on December 31, 2024, discussing a bottle of whiskey won with a security tag still attached, he wrote: "Was this a raffle on a certain kind of site? Lots of mobile type homes? Lots of 'Dags'." He added: "You are the MSOC pikey liaison."
The panel determined these were deliberate messages that clearly linked the Irish Traveller community to acts of theft. The term "dags" references a scene from the Guy Ritchie film Snatch, where a Gypsy character's accent is mocked, making the usage derogatory.
Further Discriminatory Comments
On March 17, 2025, another group member shared a video of a "Paddy Day parade on Inishbofin" with the comment: "Just like a Disney World Parade. They know how to put on a show." DC Luker replied: "Off to find some scrap metal, lead roofing and cable." The panel concluded this was a deliberate and discriminatory attempt to associate the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community with theft.
Additionally, on March 27, 2025, he used the word "pikey" again, which the panel found disrespectful. DC Luker stated he did not intend to be offensive when using that term, explaining that humor was one of his coping mechanisms for dealing with the trauma of responding to the London Bridge attack, where eight people were killed.
Panel's Findings and Conclusion
The misconduct panel wrote: "As an experienced BTP police officer used to dealing with a whole range of people, the panel found that, on the balance of probabilities, he probably would have known that this was an especially offensive use of language directed towards members of a minority community." While the panel accepted that DC Luker is not inherently racist, it ruled his actions constituted gross misconduct due to the offensive nature of the language.
This case highlights ongoing issues of discrimination and the professional standards expected within police forces, particularly concerning language used in private communications that can perpetuate harmful stereotypes against minority communities.
