London Bridge Attack Officer Dismissed for Offensive Traveller Messages
Detective Constable Mark Luker, one of the first police officers on the scene of the 2017 London Bridge terror attack, has been sacked for gross misconduct after using derogatory language about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people in WhatsApp messages. The British Transport Police officer was found to have sent messages that deliberately linked these communities to theft and used offensive terms, leading to his dismissal following a misconduct panel hearing.
Discriminatory Messages in WhatsApp Group
The panel heard that Mr Luker was a member of a WhatsApp group called Selbie Gumshoes with other members of the Major Serious and Organised Crime team. On December 31, 2024, during a conversation about a bottle of whiskey 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 then added: You are the MSOC pikey liaison. The panel concluded these were deliberate messages that clearly associated the Irish Traveller community with acts of theft.
Furthermore, on March 17, 2025, when another group member shared a video of a Paddy Day parade on Inishbofin with a comment about it being like a Disney World parade, Mr Luker replied: Off to find some scrap metal, lead roofing and cable. The panel ruled this was discriminatory in linking the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community to theft. On March 27, 2025, he used the word pikey again, which was found to be disrespectful.
Panel Findings and Officer's Defence
The misconduct panel determined that Mr Luker probably knew the language was offensive to a minority community. It noted that the use of the word dags was derogatory, referencing a scene in the film Snatch where a Gypsy character's accent is mocked. However, the panel accepted that DC Luker is not inherently racist and considered his role as a first responder to the 2017 terrorist attack.
Mr Luker stated that coping with the trauma of that day sometimes involved the use of humour and that he did not intend for the word pikey to be offensive. Despite this, the panel found his actions constituted gross misconduct, leading to his dismissal from the force.
