COVERT COPS TO ROOT OUT MET SEX PESTS

FRESH TACTICS AS MAJOR REPORT SET TO DAMN FORCE OVER MISOGYNY AND RACISM

- Anthony France

SCOTLAND Yard is deploying covert officers at “toxic” police stations and in special units to catch sex predators and prevent another David Carrick or Wayne Couzens scandal.

James Harman, a senior Met commander, revealed the undercover operation as the force announced a UK-first plan to re-vet staff that could root out 30 to 50 “bad apples” a month by stripping them of their licence to operate.

Sarah Everard’s killer Couzens and serial rapist Carrick continued to work in the same elite Met police armed unit despite previous sexual complaints. Mr Harman said his covert teams — normally used against organised crime — might have thwarted Couzens and Carrick or the horrific misogyny, racism and homophobia officers shared on WhatsApp at Charing Cross police station.

The move comes as the Met is set to be condemned in an official report for being racist, sexist and homophobic — and for failing to change despite decades of warnings. Baroness Casey’s review, which is due to be published on Tuesday, is expected to heavily criticise Scotland Yard’s tolerance of wrongdoing and how it protects its own people ahead of the public.

Mr Harman, of the directorate of professional standards, told the Standard: “The work of these teams using covert methods has largely been targeted against corruption, connections with criminal gangs and money changing hands. They will still do that, but we are also keen to target those high-end capabilities against sexual abuse and misconduct.”