The BBC Panorama programme entitled The Secret Policeman Returns charted progress at encouraging black and minority ethnic (BME) people into the force since a similar programme exposed racism among police recruits five years ago.

However shocking evidence was revealed into racism in the British Transport Police. The programme highlights an incident that took place two weeks ago in which two Asian British Transport police sergeants found the Ku Klux Klan emblem and other racist graffiti scraped into their lockers at their station in Stockwell, London.

The programme also highlighted other racial issues in other Police forces. The UK's first black chief constable Mike Fuller, who has two undergraduate degrees and two postgraduate degrees, said he personally felt the need to be overqualified in order to be promoted.

In an interview for the programme the Kent chief constable said: "BME officers will often have to work twice as hard to be recognised, to compete with their peers and that is a big concern." Mr Fuller is seen as a potential successor to the recently resigned Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair.

His comments appeared to be backed up by a survey of members of the Black Police Association undertaken by Panorama. It found that just under two thirds of respondents believed their career had been hindered by their race, and more than seven in ten claimed to have experienced racism at work.
One member said: "I've been treated worse than my parents in the sixties. It's all very well hidden, no racist words - you're just never good enough for promotion."

You can watch this episode of panorama now at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00f3ty2

Staff should be able to feel backed by the British Transport Police and not have racist officers in their ranks. Reps must demand the enquiry must sack the officers responsible!!

Ifor Davies