Police officers recorded behind closed doors inside station making 'shocking' racist and sexist remarks and jokes

By NICK CRAVEN, SENIOR REPORTER Published: 12:24, 18 July 2026 | Updated: 12:27, 18 July 2026 Police officers have been recorded behind closed doors inside a station making 'shocking' racist and sexist remarks and jokes. In shocking footage, the police were taped discussing attempting to 'fit up' suspects, illegally arresting black people, and visiting a brothel for sex. The officers had earlier seized a body-worn camera from an animal rights protester and taken it back to their station without realising it was still recording. The tape was made at Bethel Street police station in central Norwich in January 2023 and is now the subject of legal action by the camera's owner - who released footage on social media. In the footage, male officers can be heard discussing a visit to a local brothel which was trading under the guise of being a massage parlour. One male officer recalls: 'I go there… what I find a bit strange is that it appears that each room has like a card reader in it.' When the officer explains that it is a Chinese massage parlour in town, his colleague says: 'It does happy endings [a slang term for massages which have a sexual dimension].' The jokey conversation involving several officers then continues with an officer asking, 'Did you go there innocently thinking I need a massage? And were they like, "You want a w***?"' In shocking footage (pictured), the police were taped discussing attempting to 'fit up' suspects, illegally arresting black people, and visiting a brothel for sex In the footage, male officers can be heard discussing a visit to a local brothel which was trading under the guise of being a massage parlour When the officer explains that it is a Chinese massage parlour in town, his colleague says: 'It does happy endings [a slang term for massages which have a sexual dimension]' And when the officer says, 'Pretty much, yeah', he then goes on to confirm he paid for sexual services and describes 'lacy' underwear strewn across the room. Elsewhere in the tape, one female officer appears to joke about targeting a person based on their ethnicity. She says: 'I illegally stop search IC3 [Afro-Caribbean] females and then I arrest them and then it becomes a big deal.' A male colleague adds: 'You're black and you were…' The female officer continues: 'You're being stop-searched because my colleague said so.' The footage was on a camera was seized from animal rights activist Gemma Barnes, 36, from Norwich, when she was arrested during a protest. As well as the racist and sexist banter, the tape also features officers describing how they had dealt with her. Two officers can be heard discussing a previous attempt by their colleagues to obtain a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) against Ms Barnes which would enable them to ban her from engaging in specific activity. But the plan backfired, according to one of the officers, as the police included footage of Ms Barnes pushing a truck driver in self-defence after he had attempted to run her over. According to the officer: 'Essentially the whole of that got thrown out. 'And the prosecutor was like, "What are you trying to do? She will get herself into trouble". The judge was like, "You are trying to go after her and it looks really bad". 'And to be fair, she's making 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 back from the police, I assumed it would have been wiped. 'The first section I heard was one of the officers going to the toilet, which made me laugh, but I thought that was the extent of it until I heard the conversations. 'I've always thought that there is a bullying sub-culture in the police, and this confirmed my suspicions. 'Likewise, I have long thought that I was being targeted by the police, and again this was obvious when I listened to the tape. The jokey conversation involving several officers then continues with an officer asking, 'Did you go there innocently thinking I need a massage? And were they like, "You want a w***?"' And when the officer says, 'Pretty much, yeah', he then goes on to confirm he paid for sexual services and describes 'lacy' underwear strewn across the room The footage was on a camera was seized from animal rights activist Gemma Barnes (pictured), 36, from Norwich, when she was arrested during a protest 'One prosecution lawyer has told my solicitor that they will refuse to take any more prosecutions against me brought by Norfolk Police, which is quite something and indicates the extent of the targeting.' Gemma, who freely admits taking part in non-violent direct action, even if it means breaking the law, has been arrested countless times by Norfolk Police, with most cases dropped or dismissed. She has never been sentenced to jail. She added: 'It's one thing to go on an action and expect to be arrested, but this was a sedate, peaceful protest outside a police station and I was thrown to the ground for no reason.' Ms Barnes has already made a complaint to Norfolk Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct and is also now taking civil action over the incident and the tape. Her solicitor, John Hagan of DPP Law, told the Daily Mail that the accidentally recorded video had lifted a veil on a 'bullying police culture'. He said: 'This footage shows us what goes on inside many police officer's heads 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 f***** waste of space, discussing other officers attempting to generate an unsubstantiated charge against her.  'They are gleeful about the way they have dealt with Gemma, a peaceful protestor, and frankly the whole atmosphere is akin to a school in which the teachers are absent and the bullies have taken over. 'What is perhaps equally shocking to what is revealed on the "candid camera" with which the Police recorded their sordid comments, is their behaviour in the full light of day. 'One officer publicly assaulted my client with the kind of cocky impunity which is born of a Policing culture which fails to police itself. 'The so-called Independent Office of Police Conduct has, as usual, shown itself to be anything but independent in its assessment of my client's case, and she will now be using the full force of the civil law to hold both Norfolk Constabulary and the IOPC to account for their egregious actions.' After she was allegedly pushed to the floor, Ms Barnes angrily remonstrated with the officer, who arrested her for a public order offence, which was later thrown out by a court. It was this that led to her camera filming inside the police station after it was confiscated during her arrest. Mr Hagan described an inquiry into the tape by Norfolk Police's Professional Standards Department as 'a whitewash'. Only five of 17 separate parts of the complaint were upheld and in each of those counts, officers faced no disciplinary action, instead being ordered merely to undertake 'reflective practice' on their conduct. No action appears to have been taken over the discussions about being 'out to get' Ms Barnes. The officers had earlier seized a body-worn camera from an animal rights protester and taken it back to their station without realising it was still recording The tape was made at Bethel Street police station in central Norwich in January 2023 and is now the subject of legal action by the camera's owner - who released footage on social media A later IOPC investigation broadly agreed, although the watchdog asked Norfolk Police to re-investigate an explanation from an officer that he arrested Ms Barnes in order to establish her identity, when she claims he knew exactly who she was. A civil suit is pending against Norfolk Police for wrongful 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'm a front-line activist and do not believe that animal liberation will be achieved without bold action, civil disobedience, determination and personal sacrifice from proponents.' She posts frequently on social media and has a Patreon page where well-wishers can donate. She mentions her interactions with police on the profile, saying: 'And then there is the relentless targeting and discrimination I've faced from Norfolk Constabulary in relation to my animal rights activism. 'I have been arrested, detained, charged and prosecuted more times than I can count. Several instances have been for acts of financial sabotage that I was responsible for, but the majority of police action is malicious, and intended to shut me up and prevent me attending actions.' In May 2023, Ms Barnes was given a conditional discharge for criminal damage for her part in a protest in an M&S store in central Norwich, pouring bottles of milk over the floor and meat counter to highlight 'the need to support farmers in a transition to a sustainable, plant-based food system'. But in no fewer than 24 other cases brought by Norfolk Police against her between 2020 and 2024, all but one resulted in either no further action, an acquittal in court or a discontinuance. One other public order case did result in a conviction but was then overturned on appeal. A Norfolk Constabulary spokeswoman said: 'We are aware of footage circulating on social media, which was previously reviewed as part of a conduct investigation. Following that investigation, a number of matters were addressed through the appropriate misconduct processes. This investigation is currently subject to a complainant's right to review with the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further on the investigation outcome, while this review takes place. 'Part of the footage currently being circulated on social media has not previously been provided to the Constabulary in its current format and we are therefore further reviewing this. As a matter of fairness, we will not comment further on this while that assessment is ongoing. 'We know that some of the content currently being shared 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 would expect to hear. We are carefully reviewing the material and will take any action that is supported by the evidence.' A police source added: 'The individual who shared the footage has indicated who she believes to be involved. But it is important to note that the camera was recording while stored inside an evidence bag and left in an open office area so attributing individual comments to specific people is challenging.'