Wiltshire Police officer wins race discrimination case at employment tribunal described by PCC as 'very damaging'

Pc Ronnie Lungu, 40, who joined the force in 2003 after moving to England from Zimbabwe, had been the only black officer out of 20 who had been seeking permanent promotion, having been temporarily promoted in 2013.

The tribunal ruled that Mr Lungu’s internal assessments had been specifically downgraded in order to make him appear unworthy of promotion.

The ruling said: “The reduction in the scoring has the very significant effect in terms of making it appear reasonable that the one black applicant for promotion was scoring lower than the 19 white applicants and should therefore not be promoted.”

Evidence that derogatory comments had been made about Mr Lungu based on his skin colour which violated his dignity was heard by the tribunal in Bristol.

The tribunal ruled: “This behaviour is so extreme that the Tribunal cannot think of any apparent motive other than one that is directly related to [the] Claimant’s race.”

Mr Lungu said: “When I realised I was being singled out and treated badly because of the colour of my skin I felt so angry and upset.

“I had worked all my career to serve the community and be the best police officer I could but I was being penalised because I was black. It was totally unacceptable. But what made matters worse was that when I did raise the issue internally it wasn’t taken seriously.”

Mr Lungu added: “I joined the force to uphold the law and I still would like to remain with the force.

“I need reassurance from Wiltshire Police that they will take issues of discrimination seriously in future and I want to see new procedures put in place to tackle discrimination and better education among senior members of staff in how to deal with complaints.”

Mr Lungu’s lawyer, Juliette Franklin, of Slater and Gordon, said: “It’s extremely disappointing that people are facing this sort of prejudice and discrimination.

“Wiltshire Police needs to take this tribunal ruling very seriously and take swift steps to address any failings which have been identified.

Wiltshire Police’s Chief Constable Pat Geenty issued a statement on the ruling saying that the force took the issue very seriously.

He said: “Clearly, the issues this raises do need to be carefully considered. We continue to work hard to embed our values and behaviours and the Code of Ethics within the organisation.

“Wiltshire Police will learn lessons from this process and continue to move forward.

“As an organisation we have a very small number of Black and Ethnic Minority (BME) staff (16 officers, 15 police staff and 3 Police Special Constables) and this judgment raises some serious concerns about how an officer felt he was treated.

“I have no doubt that this judgment will affect members of the Black and Ethnic Minority community who might be considering joining Wiltshire Police. I want to reassure the public that Wiltshire Police are committed to increasing diversity in the Force so that we can reflect the communities we serve.”

Wiltshire Police will now decide whether or not to challenge any aspects of the tribunal’s findings.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Angus Macpherson said: “I have read the judgment and been fully briefed. There is an important organisational issue here and an important issue for the individual concerned.

“I strongly believe that Wiltshire Police should be reflective of the diverse communities it serves. This means that we need more officers and staff working for the Force from black and minority ethnic groups. The outcome of this case is not likely to inspire new recruits from those communities to come forward - in that sense it is very damaging.

“This judgment greatly concerns me and I know it also concerns the senior management of Wiltshire Police. An important part of my role is to hold Wiltshire Police to account.

“The Force will be reporting to me in detail and it will be high on my agenda at the next board meeting with chief officers on Monday.”