December 10, 2020 1.29 pm This story is over 48 months old

Police chief inspector accused of calling colleague ‘choc ice’

A misconduct hearing started on Thursday
Detective Chief Inspector Stewart Miller. | Photo: Humberside Police

A misconduct hearing began on Thursday for a Chief Inspector at Humberside Police who is accused of racism for allegedly calling a colleague a ‘choc ice’.

Detective Chief Inspector Stewart Miller was in the manager’s office in the major incident room at the Birchin Way police station in Grimsby on June 8 this year.

He was approached by a Detective Inspector for advice in relation to a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) police officer in the force and the guidelines of working from home. At the time the door to the office was open and staff were working in the Major Incident Room.

According to the misconduct hearing listing, Chief Inspector Miller commented, referring to an officer, in the following or similar terms: “[He] isn’t fat or diabetic and has a good job so doesn’t fit in to the category, in fact he is as close to white as he can be, in fact he’s a choc ice” and/or “[he] is probably more white and middle class than I am”.

The listing also states that the conversation was in the context of evidence suggesting BAME individuals were at heightened risk from COVID-19.

The document goes on to say that the comment was racist, offensive, inappropriate and/or discriminatory in nature.

The conduct breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Discreditable Conduct and Equality and Diversity and amounts to gross misconduct.

A misconduct hearing started at 10am on Thursday, December 10 and will take up to two days. The proceedings will take place at the old Magistrates Building on Estcourt Terrace in Goole.

Humberside Police were approached for a statement, but said it would not be appropriate for them to comment, but that they will be able to after the hearing’s conclusion