Racist claims 'threaten policing'

The mayor warned that race claims could weaken the police force

Claims of racism made by serving officers against the Metropolitan Police could serve to damage the quality of policing, the mayor said.

Boris Johnson told a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority that a culture of "personal grievance" could distract from the fight against crime.

His comments came amid fresh allegations of racism in the service.

A community support officer has alleged that ethnic minority officers were segregated into different vans.

The officer, Asad Saeed, said the alleged segregation by race happened as officers were being deployed for duty in the force's Belgravia station two years ago.

Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said the Professional Standards Directorate will look into Mr Saeed's claims.

Mr Saeed has also taken his claims of racism to an employment tribunal.

If true, Mr Johnson said the allegations represent a "very nasty incident" and called for any hint of racism in the force to be "stamped out", while steps are also taken to ensure that fighting racism internally does not divert resources from the fight against crime.

On Mr Saeed's claim, the Met said: "The incident Mr Saeed describes involving segregated buses and inappropriate conduct is appalling and has absolutely no place in the Met."

Tuesday marked the 10-year anniversary of the Macpherson report, which examined the inquiry into the 1993 murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

The report had labelled the Met as "institutionally racist".

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