Racist abuse PC could be sacked within weeks

A police constable caught on tape racially abusing a Kurdish teenager faces the sack within weeks, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police said.

A police constable caught on tape racially abusing a Kurdish teenager faces the sack within weeks, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police said.

The Independent disclosed yesterday that the officer, PC David Yates, swore at the youth 18 times as he arrested him, telling him he was "going to smash your fucking Arab face in". The teenager recorded the tirade on his mobile phone and his prosecution on a public order offence collapsed when it was played.

The disclosure embar-rassed the force, which is trying to recruit more officers from the ethnic minorities. It faces demands to meet leaders of London's Kurds to reassure them that the community was not being targeted by officers.

Sir Ian said: "On what I have read and heard, the behaviour alleged is outrageous. What I have asked for is that, if the evidence stacks up, then we will put the officer on a fast-track procedure and remove him from the force. We can deal with it in a matter of weeks."

Sir Ian added that the Met would want to analyse the recording and question PC Yates. He said: "The officer has rights too."

A senior Met source later admitted he could not see any innocent explanation for the officer's comments.

PC Yates has been suspended from duty while the force's directorate of professional standards investigates. The actions of two other officers at the arrest are also being investigated.

Arzu Pesmen, of the Kurdish Federation in the UK, said her community faced routine prejudice. She said: "Police are looking at people's faces and considering they are criminals."

Lee Jasper, race adviser to the London Mayor, called for the Metropolitan Police Authority to intervene. It should check with the community to see if it suffered from systematic discrimination by the police.