BBC film to expose toxic and violent culture in Met police

The Met police is bracing itself for an undercover documentary showing officers and staff allegedly being supportive of the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, making anti-Muslim comments, and using excessive force against suspects in custody.

- Vikram Dodd

The allegations centre on Charing Cross police station in central London, and are contained in a BBC Panorama report airing tonight.

The allegations have plunged the Met into crisis mode, with the commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, trying to contain the damage as well as showing he can cut out toxic cultures within Britain's largest force.

The programme-makers have yet to make public full details of what the undercover filming revealed, but the broad allegations were sent to police chiefs a fortnight ago.

That has led to the suspension of nine serving officers and the police watchdog launching a major investigation, with one officer under criminal investigation.

The Guardian understands the programme claims to have material in which an officer makes comments supportive of Robinson - a former leader of the extreme-right English Defence League. The monitoring group Hope Not Hate assesses Robinson to be the "best-known far-right extremist in Britain".