London Bridge Attack Hero Dismissed for Gross Misconduct Over Racist Slurs
Detective Constable Mark Luker, a British Transport Police officer who was among the first responders to the 2017 London Bridge terror attack, has been fired for gross misconduct after using racially offensive language in WhatsApp messages.
Offensive Messages Targeting Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Communities
A misconduct panel heard that DC Luker used the derogatory term "p*key" in WhatsApp conversations about Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller people. The panel concluded he likely knew this language was "offensive" to minority communities.
In one message from 31 December 2024, during a discussion about someone winning a whiskey bottle with a security tag still attached, Luker wrote: "Was this a raffle on a certain kind of site? Lots of mobile type homes? Lots of 'Dags'." He then added: "You are the MSOC p*key liaison."
References to Film and Stereotypes
The panel found the term "dags" was derogatory, referencing a scene in the film Snatch where a Gypsy character's accent is mocked. They determined these messages deliberately linked the Irish Traveller community to theft.
On 17 March 2025, after another group member shared a video of a "Paddy Day parade on Inishbofin" with the message "Just like a Disney World Parade. They know how to put on a show," Luker replied: "Off to find some scrap metal, lead roofing and cable."
The panel ruled this was "deliberate and discriminatory" in associating Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities with criminal activity. On 27 March 2025, he used the word "p*key" again, which the panel found "disrespectful."
Officer's Defense and Panel's Findings
Luker defended himself by stating he was one of the first responders to the 2017 London Bridge terrorist attack and that humor was one of his coping mechanisms. He claimed he did not intend for the term "p*key" to be offensive.
The panel accepted that DC Luker is not "inherently racist" but wrote: "As an experienced BTP police officer used to dealing with a whole range of people, the panel found that, on the balance of probabilities, he probably would have known that this was an especially offensive use of language directed towards members of a minority community."
The messages were sent in a WhatsApp group called 'Selbie Gumshoes' with other members of the Major Serious and Organised Crime team. The panel concluded the messages constituted gross misconduct, leading to Luker's dismissal from the force.
