HUNDREDS of police officers and civilian employees have been investigated for breaching social media guidelines, including by making threatening and racist comments on Facebook and Twitter.

Police forces responded to freedom of information requests by divulging that 848 breaches were reported to bosses in a five-year period. 

Of these 548 investigations referred to police officers, 175 to civilian staff and 31 to police community support officers.

Breaches included making “inappropriate remarks” about a colleague’s wife on Facebook to uploading images of colleagues in “compromising positions.”

Others used Facebook to send “abusive” messages to members of the public, while a civilian employee’s comments alleging that Muslims in central London had failed to observe a two-minute silence were deemed “offensive/inappropriate likely to cause offence to other persons.”

Homophobic, racist and “religiously aggressive” posts were among the cases investigated.

Employees were rapped for using social media to bully colleagues who had complained, as well as for showing off by posing with weapons. Some had divulged information on upcoming police operations.

While 14 per cent of cases resulted in no further action, 9 per cent hit the opposite extreme, and ended in resignation, dismissal or retirement.

But among cases police took most seriously were those where officers displaying “disloyalty.”

One sergeant was given a warning for his remarks about senior officers, while another resigned after demonstrating “inappropriate behaviour” in relation to a comment on a police authority rescinding a decision not to give staff their pay rise in 2010.