Police censured over road accident Facebook site

Eighteen police officers have been disciplined after bragging on a social networking website about crashing cars and hitting pedestrians. The Metropolitan Police officers joked about injuring members of the public on a site called Look I’ve Had a Pocol – slang for police collision.

One picture on the Facebook site, which had more than 200 members around the world before it was disbanded in January, showed a police vehicle in an accident with a small white car. The officer who posted it wrote: “I did him a favour. At 82 years old you just shouldn’t be on the road and if you are, then most certainly don’t go through a green light into the path of an innocent police car.”

Another member wrote: “Ran over a drunk. I believe he has a permanent limp and a hefty payout. I was given a three-month holiday from job driving. Ooh, bummer.”



An investigation began in January after the site was brought to the attention of senior officers.

One picture showed a uniformed officer giving a thumbs-up next to a vehicle, which seemed to have hit a fallen tree. Another picture featured the wreckage of a patrol car after it had mounted the pavement and collided with a lamppost.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan police, said: “An investigation into the site by the Metropolitan Police’s Director of Professional Standards has been concluded. Fourteen officers received written warnings and four were given a speaking to. The warnings will remain on their records. Another five had unofficial words in their ear.”