Six police officers have had misconduct claims proven against them following a watchdog’s investigation into “racist and ableist” messages.

The “abhorrent” messages, which included references to the Islamic festival of Eid, were sent to a WhatsApp chat shared by a group of officers from Greater Manchester Police.

The group chat – named “The Dispensables” – also contained ableist comments about people with autism, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The messages were discovered as part of a separate inquiry into the supply of steroids by one of the group’s members.

IOPC regional director Catherine Bates described the messages as “inexcusable and abhorrent”.

“Messages sent via WhatsApp and on any form of social media cannot be a hiding place for officers with these types of views,” she said.

“Behaviour of this nature seriously undermines public confidence in policing. It is part of our role, and for police forces themselves, to ensure that it is rooted out and those responsible are held to account for their actions.

“The outcome sends a clear message that the use and failure to challenge offensive language is wholly unacceptable.”

As part of the watchdog’s investigation into the messages, gross misconduct claims were proven against one officer, PC Rebekah Kelly, who has been dismissed from the force without notice.

Former PC Ashley Feest and PC Graham Atkinson admitted breaching the standards of behaviour, also at the level of gross misconduct.

A panel ruled that former PC Feest would have been dismissed without notice, had he not already resigned, while PC Atkinson was given a final written warning.

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PC Kelly and PC Feest had also been added to the police barred list, preventing them from serving as police officers, the IOPC said.

The investigation was launched during an inquiry into another officer, PC Aaron Jones, for supplying steroids. It was during that investigation that the messages were found.

PC Jones was sacked in December 2022 after a misconduct hearing found he had offered to supply steroids in January 2019.

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He had already been sentenced to a 12-month community order and 80 hours unpaid work in June 2022 after admitting two counts of offering to supply Class C drugs.

As part of the IOPC’s investigation into the WhatsApp messages, two other officers had misconduct meetings in August 2022.

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One officer was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to authority, respect and courtesy; conduct; equality and diversity; and challenging and reporting improper conduct and was given a written warning.

A sixth officer was found to have failed to challenge or report improper conduct and received management advice.

Following a disciplinary hearing last week for PC Feest, PC Kelly and PC Jones, the head of Greater Manchester Police’s Professional Standards Branch, Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, described their behaviour as a “complete disgrace”.

“It is fitting that three members of the WhatsApp group now find themselves barred from policing for life, with one also carrying a criminal conviction for offering to supply drugs,” he said.

“The shameful behaviour of these officers risks undermining the noble work of all in the force who serve our diverse communities with kindness and this is why I have no hesitation in demonstrating, very publicly, the hard line that will be taken when such repugnant behaviour is detected.”

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