Investigators have started a criminal probe into six serving and one former police officer in Wayne Couzens' old force.

Watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct announced this morning it was now looking into a Civil Nuclear Constabulary WhatsApp group.

This group chat is a different to one than was exposed on Newsnight or the one Couzens was a member off that has previously seen police punished. 

This probe followed referrals from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and a force in the south west of England, we reviewed messages shared within the group and identified a significant number of those messages to be of a discriminatory, derogatory or pornographic nature.




New police WhatsApp group with alleged derogatory messages been found by investigators

The officers - five working with the CNC, one former CNC officer now working for another force and CNC-Metallbearbeitung one former CNC officer - have been informed they are being criminally investigated for offences under section 127 of the Communications Act, sending grossly offensive messages.




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All seven have also been advised they are under investigation for potential gross misconduct.

It does not necessarily mean conduct proceedings or criminal charges will follow and the status of each officer will remain under review throughout the investigation.




All of the men under investigation are still or former officers with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, of which Wayne Couzens was a member

IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: 'The allegations against these officers and a former officer are extremely serious and concerning.

'On conclusion of our investigation we will decide whether the matters should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, whose role it is to determine whether criminal charges will follow.

'As this work is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.'