An internal Scotland Yard investigation has revealed that Metropolitan Police officers routinely used personal phones to take and share photos of deceased individuals via WhatsApp. The practice was reportedly driven by concerns over the poor quality of standard-issue police equipment.

Investigation Uncovers Widespread Practice

The inquiry led to misconduct proceedings against two officers, who claimed the practice of using personal phones for this purpose was common within the force, despite conflicting guidance from senior leadership. Officers frequently used personal devices to capture evidence, including images of dead bodies, as a workaround to compress files before uploading them to the Met’s official system.

PC Manning's Actions

PC Billy Manning was found to have retained a photo of a deceased elderly man on his personal phone following an investigation into the man’s death. He later displayed the image, described as a ‘bad one,’ to colleagues during a training session, causing them discomfort.

On September 27, 2021, PC Manning and PC Zak Malik responded to a call at an assisted living residence in Dalston, east London, where they discovered a resident who had died days or weeks prior in an advanced state of decomposition. PC Malik took photos of the deceased on his personal phone and sent them to PC Manning via WhatsApp to reduce file size for official uploads.

WhatsApp Exchange and Reporting

The misconduct hearing revealed that PC Manning deleted the photo from his phone’s library but failed to remove it from his WhatsApp thread. When PC Malik noticed the photo remained accessible and warned him, PC Manning responded with laughing emojis.

During a Taser training course at Shoreditch police station, PC Manning showed the photo to other officers, describing the body in detail. Two officers reported feeling ‘very uncomfortable’ and subsequently reported the incident to their superiors.

Misconduct Hearings and Outcomes

PC Manning was arrested on February 18, 2022, and justified his actions by stating it was ‘common practice’ to take and delete such photos, admitting he simply forgot to do so in this instance. His phone revealed additional images related to victims, suspects, and evidence. The investigation also uncovered a WhatsApp group called ‘Away Days’ where offensive content was shared.

Misconduct proceedings were initiated against PC Manning and PC Frankie Jordan, who had also retained photos of evidence. PC Jordan maintained he had done nothing wrong, citing a lack of work-issued devices and the poor quality of police tablets. Senior officers later clarified that using personal phones for policing purposes was against policy.

PC Manning received a final written warning for two years, while PC Jordan was given a three-year final warning following the hearing held between November and February this year. The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for further comment.