Police officers caught on camera talking about visiting a local brothel, ‘fitting up’ suspects and making racist and sexist jokes

It was recorded that police officers made ‘shocking’ racist and sexist remarks and jokes behind closed doors at a police station.

It was recorded in the footage that it was discussed that the police tried to ‘make up’ the suspects, illegally arrested black people and visited a brothel for sex.

Officers had previously seized a body-worn camera from an animal rights protester and returned it to their station without realizing it was still recording.

The tape was shot at Bethel Street police station in central Norwich in January 2023 and is now the subject of legal action by the owner of the camera, who posted the footage on social media.

In the footage, male officers can be heard discussing a visit to a local brothel operating under the guise of a massage parlour.

A male officer recalls: ‘I go there… the thing that seems a bit strange to me is that there is a card reader in every room.’

When the officer explains it’s a Chinese massage parlor in town, his colleague says: ‘It has a happy ending.’ [a slang term for massages which have a sexual dimension].’

The joking conversation, which involved several officers, later led to one officer asking, “Did you go there innocently thinking I needed a massage?” He continues by asking: So, “You want aa***?” Did they say?’

In the footage, male officers can be heard discussing a visit to a local brothel operating under the guise of a massage parlour.

When the officer explains it’s a Chinese massage parlor in town, his colleague says: ‘It has a happy ending.’ [a slang term for massages which have a sexual dimension]’

When the officer says, ‘Pretty much yes,’ he confirms that he has paid for sexual services and describes the ‘lacy’ underwear scattered around the room.

Elsewhere on the tape, a female officer is seen joking about targeting a person based on their ethnicity.

It says: ‘I am illegally intercepting calls on IC3 [Afro-Caribbean] ‘I arrest the women and then it becomes a big deal.’

A male colleague adds: ‘You’re black and you…’

The female police officer continues: ‘You are wanted because my colleague said so.’

The footage was captured on the camera of 36-year-old animal rights activist Gemma Barnes from Norwich, who was arrested during a protest.

The tape captures racist and sexist banter as well as how police officers dealt with it.

The two officers can be heard discussing an earlier attempt by their colleagues to obtain a Criminal Behavior Order (CBO) against Ms Barnes, which would have allowed them to ban her from engaging in certain activity.

But according to one of the officers, the plan backfired; Police also included footage of Ms Barnes in self-defense pushing a truck driver who was trying to run her over.

According to the officer’s statement: ‘Actually, all of these were thrown away.

‘And the prosecutor said, ‘What are you trying to do? “It’s going to get you in trouble,” he said. “You’re trying to go after him and it looks really bad,” the judge said.

‘And honestly, he makes a valid point.’

Gemma Barnes told the Daily Mail: ‘I was shocked but not surprised when I heard the contents of the tape. When I first got it from the police I thought it would have been deleted.

‘The first part I heard was one of the cops going to the toilet, which made me laugh but I thought that was it until I heard the conversation.

‘I always thought there was a bullying subculture within the police and this confirmed my suspicions.

‘Likewise, I’ve been thinking for a long time that I was being targeted by the police, and when I listened to the tape, this became clear again.

The joking conversation, which involved several officers, later led to one officer asking, “Did you go there innocently thinking I needed a massage?” He continues by asking: So, “You want aa***?” Did they say?’

When the officer says ‘Pretty much yes’ he confirms he paid for sexual services and describes the ‘lacy’ underwear scattered around the room

The footage was captured on the camera of 36-year-old animal rights campaigner Gemma Barnes (pictured), from Norwich, who was arrested during a protest.

‘A prosecution lawyer told my solicitor that they would dismiss any investigation against me by Norfolk Police, which is quite significant and shows the extent of the targeting.’

Gemma, who freely admitted to taking part in non-violent direct action even if it meant breaking the law, was arrested numerous times by Norfolk Police, with most cases dropped or dismissed. He was never sentenced to prison.

He added: ‘It’s one thing to take part in a protest and expect to be arrested, but this was a calm, peaceful protest outside a police station and I was thrown to the ground for no reason.’

Ms Barnes has complained to Norfolk Police and the Independent Police Conduct Office and is now taking legal action in relation to the incident and the tape.

His lawyer, John Hagan, of DPP Law, told the Daily Mail that the mistakenly recorded video lifted the lid on the ‘bullying police culture’.

He said: ‘This footage shows us what goes on inside the minds of many police officers and behind the closed doors of the police station, and it is not a pretty sight.

‘Officers can be heard describing my client as a waste of space, discussing other officers trying to form a false accusation against him.

‘They are happy with their treatment of Gemma, who was a peaceful protester, and frankly the whole atmosphere is like a school where there are no teachers and bullies have taken over.

‘Perhaps equally shocking as what was revealed on ‘hidden camera’ where police recorded his dirty comments is his behavior in broad daylight.

‘A police officer publicly attacked my client with a smug impunity born of a policing culture that fails to police itself.

‘The so-called Independent Office for Police Conduct has, as usual, shown itself to be far from independent in its assessment of my client’s case and will now use the full force of the civil law to hold both Norfolk Constabulary and the IOPC to account for their appalling actions.’

After she was allegedly pushed to the ground, Ms Barnes angrily objected to the police officer who arrested her for a public order offence, but the arrest was later dismissed by the court.

This is what caused the camera seized during his arrest to film at the police station.

Mr Hagan described the Norfolk Police Professional Standards Department investigation into the tape as a ‘whitewash’.

Only five of the 17 separate sections of the complaint were upheld, and on each of these charges the officers faced no disciplinary action, but instead were simply ordered to ‘reflect’ on their conduct.

No action appears to have been taken regarding the controversy surrounding the ‘capture’ of Ms Barnes.

Officers had previously seized a body-worn camera from an animal rights protester and taken him back to the police station without realizing he was still recording.

The tape was shot at Bethel Street police station in central Norwich in January 2023 and is now the subject of legal action by the owner of the camera, who posted the footage on social media.

A subsequent IOPC investigation was generally accepted, but the watchdog asked Norfolk Police to re-investigate an officer’s statement that he had arrested Ms Barnes to identify her after she claimed to know exactly who she was.

A civil lawsuit is pending against Norfolk Police for false arrest, battery and malicious prosecution.

Ms. Barnes describes herself as an animal and civil rights activist and said she grew up in a rural farming community.

A vegetarian since the age of three, she says: ‘I am a front-line activist and I do not believe animal liberation will be achieved without bold action, civil disobedience, determination and the personal sacrifice of advocates.’

He posts frequently on social media and has a Patreon page where well-intentioned people can donate. In her profile, she talks about her interactions with the police, saying: ‘There is also the brutal targeting and discrimination I have faced from Norfolk Constabulary due to my animal rights activism.

‘I have been arrested, detained, charged and tried more times than I can count. ‘There have been a few examples of acts of financial sabotage for which I have been responsible, but the majority of police actions are malicious and aimed at silencing me and preventing me from taking part.’

In May 2023, Ms Barnes was granted a conditional discharge for punitive damages for her role in a protest at an M&S store in central Norwich, which spilled milk bottles on the floor and onto the meat counter to highlight ‘the need to support farmers in the transition to a sustainable, plant-based food system’.

But in at least 24 cases brought against him by Norfolk Police between 2020 and 2024, all but one resulted in either no further action, acquittal in court or a stay of the case. Another public order case resulted in a conviction but was later overturned on appeal.

A spokesman for Norfolk Constabulary said: ‘We are aware of images circulating on social media which have previously been examined as part of a conduct investigation. Following this investigation, a number of issues were addressed through appropriate fraud processes. This investigation is currently subject to the complainant’s right to review before the Independent Police Conduct Authority. Therefore, while this investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the outcome of the investigation.

‘Some of the footage currently circulating on social media has not previously been submitted to the Police Department in its current format and we are therefore examining this in more detail. To be fair, we will not be commenting further on this while the evaluation is ongoing.

‘We know that some of the content shared now will undermine public confidence in policing. People rightly expect high standards from police officers and staff, and some of the content being circulated falls short of what the public expects to hear. ‘We are examining the material carefully and will take any action supported by the evidence.’

A police source added: ‘The person who shared the footage stated who he believed was involved. However, it is important to note that the camera recorded while stored in an evidence bag and left in an open office area, so it is difficult to attribute individual comments to specific individuals.’