Boris launches Met racism review

London's mayor Boris Johnson has ordered a review into how the Metropolitan Police has carried out recommendations from a key report into race issues in the force. The Met has recently been hit by a number of allegations that some of its officers carried out racist behaviour. The mayor now wants to see whether the Met has taken action following the report from the Race and Faith Inquiry which he commissioned in 2008.

Amongst the recommendations that the original report made were making it easier for ethnic minority candidates to apply for jobs. The Met has seen an increase in the number of black and ethnic minority officers over the last four years - from 8.3% in May 2008 to 10.1% in April 2012. Today, Boris Johnson said: “While I am encouraged that the number of officers from ethnic minority backgrounds continues to grow, we need to build momentum. The Commissioner and I are in absolute agreement that racism within the Met, whose officers and staff are in a special position of trust, will not be tolerated."

The Met's Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has welcomed the review and added: "It is vital that the MPS represents Londoners at all levels. I have made it clear that I will not tolerate racism within the MPS and we will deal with it robustly wherever it occurs.”