Met Police officers sacked over athlete stop and search handed jobs back after winning appeal

Two former Metropolitan Police officers sacked over a stop and search involving British athlete Bianca Williams have been handed their jobs back.

It comes after they won an appeal against a ruling that they lied by saying they could smell cannabis during a stop and search of Ms Williams and her partner, Olympic sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, in 2020.

Former Met Pcs Jonathan Clapham and Sam Franks were dismissed in October last year after a disciplinary panel found they had lied about smelling the drug during the stop.

The finding has been overturned by the Police Appeals Tribunal which found the original decision was “irrational” and “inconsistent”.

Appeals Tribunal chairman Damien Moore said the officers were “dedicated, hard-working and much respected” and their reputations had been “ruined” by the original findings.

“Both officers did not lie,” he said.

“Both officers will now be reinstated to the Met Police. They should receive back-pay.”

Ms Williams and Mr Dos Santos complained to the police watchdog, saying they were racially profiled during a “disturbing” stop and search.

The police followed the athletes as they travelled home from training in their Mercedes with their baby son, who was then three months old on 4 July 2020.

The couple were handcuffed and searched on suspicion of having drugs and weapons after they were pulled over outside their property.

But nothing was found.

Three other officers were cleared of any wrongdoing.

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