Officer guarding Sarah Everard murder scene ‘sent inappropriate graphic’
A Met Police officer guarding a site in the Sarah Everard search has been removed from duties for allegedly sending ‘inappropriate’ material on social media.
The officer, who was deployed as a cordon officer in Kent, is understood to have shared the ‘graphic’ with colleagues on Friday.
Shocked colleagues ‘who were concerned by its content’ reported the officer, who is still in his probationary period, to Scotland Yard bosses.
As a result, the PC has been removed from the site near an Ashford woodland where the 33-year-old’s body was discovered last Wednesday.
Scotland Yard has launched an investigation, and given the context of the officer’s duties at the time, referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Ms Everard’s family have been made aware.
The Met said the graphic did not contain photographic images, pictures of Ms Everard, or any other material obtained from or related to the investigation into her murder.
In a statement, the force continued: ‘The Pc had been deployed as a cordon officer supporting the search operation in Kent in relation to the murder of Sarah Everard.
‘The officer has been removed from these duties and placed in a non-public facing role while inquiries continue.’
Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said: ‘The MPS expects its officers to behave professionally at all times and this includes how they use social media.
‘I take allegations that any officer or officers have failed to observe these standards very seriously and have referred this matter to the IOPC.’
Serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, is charged with the kidnap and murder of Ms Everard, who disappeared while walking home from a friend’s in Clapham, south-west London, on March 3.
Couzens, who will appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, is also charged with a separate allegation of indecent exposure.
Officers today continued to search a fresh area in Sandwich, Kent, around 30 miles from where Ms Everard’s body was discovered in an Ashford woodland.
Divers were today seen searching a river near Rope Walk, while pictures showed a gold necklace was discovered in the area.
Hundreds gathered in London tonight in protest of the Met’s handling of Saturday’s vigil in honour of Ms Everard on Clapham Common, as well as a proposed new policing bill which gives police more powers to crack down on protests.
Protesters blocked traffic on Westminster Bridge before moving to New Scotland Yard, shouting ‘shame on you’.
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