A Muslim officer has been accused of making 'racist comments about white people' over a police WhatsApp group amid a major conduct probe.
The alleged message - which is said to have discussed 'white trash' at theme parks - is one of a staggering 40,000 comments being scrutinised by Met Police.
So far 22 officers from the East Area command unit have been accused of misconduct and placed on restricted duties by the force's Directorate of Professional Standards.
Other 'inappropriate' messages found in the group are said to have been sexist or offensive about victims of domestic violence and vulnerable people.
Some are said to have celebrated the use of excessive force on prisoners.
Met Police said it was made aware of 'a WhatsApp group allegedly containing inappropriate messages' on October 11.
The force told the Daily Mail: 'The messages are reported to include unprofessional and insensitive language, potential data breaches and breaches of confidentiality.
'At this stage, there is no indication that any activity meets the criminal threshold.'
Met Police's Directorate of Professional Standards is investigating a police WhatsApp group amid allegations of 'inappropriate' messages
After referring the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the Met was instructed to carry out an investigation under their direction, the statement added.
Chief Superintendent Dan Card, who leads policing in the area, said: 'We know that news of this investigation may raise some concerns, both for members of the local community and within our own policing teams.
'No one in this organisation can be in any doubt as to the standards we have set.
'While it is important to recognise that enquiries are in an early stage, action will be taken against anyone whose behaviour falls below that which we would expect.'
Meanwhile a source told The Sun: 'It was ill-judged banter but some of the comments apparently crossed the line.
'In terms of the scale of the investigation, there has never been anything like it.'