PC Crofts was filmed by a passer-by

A POLICE officer who was filmed repeatedly hitting a man with a baton at St Pancras rail station has been sacked for using “excessive and unnecessary force”.

PC Peter Crofts was dismissed without notice on Friday.

His boss at British Transport Police said he had undermined “the bravery of hundreds of officers who rush to protect the public every day”. Earlier allegations that his actions were “potentially racially motivated” were dropped and were not considered by an independent misconduct panel, the New Journal can reveal.

The officer was filmed lashing out at Anthony Yeboah as he attempted to arrest him on March 8 last year. The Independent Police Complaints Commission launched an investigation after the footage was widely shared on social media. The IPCC found there was a “case to answer”.

Commissioner Jennifer Izekor said before the misconduct hearing that they had determined the officer’s use of force may have been excessive and that the arrest was “unnecessary to begin with”. She added: “Both were potentially racially motivated.”

In the footage, smartly-dressed Mr Yeboah can be heard saying “I am not a criminal” while the officer screams at him to “get down on the floor, now”. Mr Yeboah agrees to go with officers to the police station, at which point a bystander who was filming says: “He’s co-operating.”

BTP disputed claims that PC Crofts’ actions were racially motivated and eventually reached an agreement with the IPCC not to pursue that aspect of the case at last week’s hearing. The police watchdog recommended that BTP updates its training policies after the incident.

The case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service last year to determine whether PC Crofts should face criminal charges, but it was decided there was insufficient evidence, the IPCC said.

After PC Crofts was found guilty of gross misconduct on Friday, Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said: “I support the decision of the independent misconduct panel to dismiss PC Peter Crofts with immediate effect. When police officers fail to retain control of a situation and do not exercise restraint, it understandably alarms the public. It is of extreme regret that a BTP officer has failed in his duty to be proportionate and cautious in his use of force.”

He added: “As seen in the video that captured some of the incident, this behaviour was unacceptable and it is important to remember that a single incident such as this undermines the bravery of hundreds of officers who rush to protect the public every day. PC Crofts’ dismissal sends a clear message of the likely consequences should anyone fail to meet the expectations of our very clear standards of professional behaviour. I hope the decision serves to reassure the public that all incidents of gross misconduct will always be thoroughly investigated and dealt with firmly by the force.”