East London-based officers to stand trial after allegations they made racist remarks to colleagues
Two Metropolitan police officers are to stand trial accused of making racist remarks to their colleagues, prosecutors have announced.
Both officers are based in Newham, east London, and the alleged racist comments were claimed to have been made "within a group of officers", said the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which investigated the case.
The IPCC said: "PC Kevin Hughes, 36, will face two charges of public order offences, one of which is racially aggravated, in relation to an alleged comment made on Wednesday 22 February.
"PC David Hair, 40, will face two charges of public order offences, one of which is racially aggravated, in relation to an alleged comment made on Tuesday 13 March."
The Met said both officers were suspended from duty on 5 April.
The Met also said that a third officer, an acting police sergeant, was to face internal disciplinary action for failures in supervision.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised the prosecution on Thursday.
Sue Hemming, head of the CPS division handling special crime, said: "I have today authorised the IPCC to summons PC David Hair and PC Kevin Hughes of the Metropolitan police service with a racially aggravated public order offence in respect of comments made while on duty as police officers.
"PC Hair is summonsed in relation to a comment made about members of the public on 22 February 2012 and PC Hughes is summonsed in relation to a comment made to a colleague on 13 March 2012.
"Both are summonsed for a racially aggravated offence of using abusive or insulting words contrary to section 5 Public Order 1985 and section 31 (c) Crime Disorder 1998. Both men are also summonsed for an alternative charge of using abusive or insulting words contrary to section 5 Public Order 1985.
"This decision is made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors as I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to prosecute this case."
The officers are scheduled to appear before Westminster magistrates on Wednesday 5 September.