Stop and search: South Londoner who was racially profiled by Met welcomes police watchdog findings

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A south London man who was stopped and searched by police officers has told ITV News London he welcomes the findings of a police watchdog investigation.

School support worker Dwayne Francis was stopped in May last year. But a report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation has found that Mr Francis was racially profiled.

The three Metropolitan Police officers who carried out the search will now face a gross misconduct hearing, to see whether they breached "standards of professional behaviour for honesty and integrity".

Dwayne, 32, told ITV News London it was a "positive step in the right direction" that showed the complaints process can work.

The South Londoner also urged others who believe they have been victims of police misconduct to go through the complaints procedure.

"How many other people is this happening to? How many other people are not making complaints at this time so I want to raise awareness [of the police complaints procedure]", he said.

Mr Francis said he was in his car waiting for the Post Office to open when police officers handcuffed him and searched him for drugs.

No drugs were found and Dwayne was not arrested.

The officers involved have denied any racial profiling had taken place and stated that they had a lawful reason to stop the driver.

IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem said that although stop and search was an important policing tool, it was also "an intrusive power and affects the trust and confidence that Black communities have in the police service" and that stop and search powers must be used carefully.

Mr Naseem also said that the IOPC investigation had found evidence of racial bias from one officer, and that all three officers had breached standards of professional behaviour.