Pizza staff say they forgive cop who called them P***s got her job back

Staff at a takeaway where a drunk PC used racist language say they forgive her but feel let down by the police.

Workers at Spice of Punjab added that they are glad Katie Barratt got her job back following an outburst in which she said ‘I wish these f**king P***s would hurry up’.

She lost her job following the incident after a work Christmas party in 2017 but this week that ruling was overturned and she will receive at least £15,000 in back pay.

It was also claimed she had called them ‘n****rs’, something PC Barratt never denied.

Spokesman for the restaurant Daud Khawaja said: ‘It is quite a shock because we have really good relations with the police, we couldn’t believe it and it did put a stain on police officers for us.

‘But I think it’s important to realise that we welcome the decision that she’s got her job back.

‘We understand that everybody makes mistakes and it’s all a matter of education and how people are brought up. She is sorry for what she did.’

Daud added that staff had seen an increase in racist remarks since the EU referendum, but were shocked that a serving police officer would make such remarks.

He said: ‘We are disappointed. Police officers are someone we should be able to rely on to give impartial support no matter what someone’s race is, so it is shocking.

‘It is clearly unacceptable, but as long as she is sorry and she can improve on it that’s the main thing.

‘With Brexit we are having a lot more racial slurs. It’s happened a lot more since the vote. We never used to get many, it used to be maybe once every six months, but since the referendum we have it at least every two weeks.

‘It is unpleasant for the staff but we just get on with it. But there are times when some of the staff will be very upset.

An employment hearing heard that PC Barratt had stopped drinking since the incident and that it was a one-off incident.

Chairman of the panel Dorian Lovell-Park ’roundly condemned’ her comments before wishing her luck in the rest of her career.

Det Supt Sav Patsalos, head of Northumbria Police’s professional standards department, said: ‘We acknowledge the decision of the independent panel and will now take some time to review its findings.

‘This was recognised by a colleague who rightly came forward to report the comments and this reflects the culture within the Force where people have the confidence to speak up and challenge this kind of behaviour.’

‘We expect officers and staff to maintain the highest levels of professionalism at all times and I want to assure the public that we are committed to taking positive action when individuals fall below the expected standards of behaviour.’