FIVE serving West Yorkshire Police officers have been sacked and three former colleagues told they would have been dismissed over “routine misogyny” and “casual racism” expressed in a WhatsApp group.

A disciplinary panel found them guilty of gross misconduct today over “derogatory, offensive and discriminatory” messages posted in the group, where they also shared photographs of “death scenes,” car crashes, missing people and detainees.

The hearing was told the group used by some West Yorkshire Police officers based in Pudsey, near Leeds, was characterised by “mean-spirited and bullying remarks about colleagues and members of the public.”

The panel on Friday dismissed serving officers Sergeant Mark Otter, Pc Dominique Hawkins, Pc Javaid Habeeb, Pc Luke Riddett and an officer referred to only as Pc X.

They ruled that three other former constables — Tom Harrison, Matthew Harrison and Lee Hillyard — would also have been removed from their jobs had they not already resigned.

All eight had denied gross misconduct between July 2020 and September 2021.

At the start of the hearing in October, barrister Olivia Checa-Dover gave the panel examples from the WhatsApp chat.

She told the panel that in one conversation about going to a strip club, Pc Tom Harrison mentioned a female officer, saying: “You gonna strip too?”

Ms Checa-Dover said that Sgt Otter expressed his regret at having missed the opportunity to “Eiffel Tower” one officer.

She said Pc Riddett joked: “It’s not harassment if they say yes. Remember lads, 50 nos and one yes is still a yes.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Tanya Wilkins, head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “We make clear to all employees of West Yorkshire Police the standards we expect of them both on and off duty and have a specific policy in place around the use of social media, which includes WhatsApp.”