Three officers are facing charges over allegations they shared racist and misogynistic messages with Sarah Everard’s killer Wayne Couzens, the police watchdog has said.

In a statement, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said: “Two serving Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers and one former MPS officer are to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on March 16 charged in connection with an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into the sending and sharing of inappropriate messages on WhatsApp.

“They are charged with sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network contrary to section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

“The offences are alleged to have occurred between April and August 2019.

“The IOPC’s investigation began following a referral from the MPS in April last year (2021) and was completed in December when we referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS has now taken the decision to authorise charges against the officers.”

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