Norfolk Constabulary is facing a fresh misconduct investigation after officers were accidentally recorded discussing what they described as illegal stop and searches of Black women, alongside conversations about visiting a brothel.
The conversations were captured after officers failed to switch off a body-worn camera confiscated from animal rights campaigner Gemma Barnes following her arrest at Bethel Street Police Station in Norwich in January 2023. When the camera was returned to Barnes 11 months later, it contained more than four hours of audio recorded inside the police station. Barnes has since released extracts online and is pursuing legal action against both Norfolk Constabulary and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Senior officers have acknowledged that some of the material “will undermine public confidence in policing” and have begun reviewing footage they say had not previously been available to them.
What the recordings show
In one exchange, a female officer is heard saying:
“I illegally stop, search IC3 (black) females and then I arrest them.”
During the same discussion, another officer jokes:
“You’re being black and disobedient.”
A third comment adds:
“You’re being stopped and searched because my colleague said so.”
In a separate conversation, officers discuss a visit to a Norwich massage parlour. where “happy endings” are mentioned.
“Did you go there innocently thinking I need a massage?” one asks. “And then they’re like, you want a w*nk”
Another officer replies to say: “Yeah pretty much,” adding: “I got there. What I find a bit strange is that each room has like a card reader in it.” They then discuss shackles underneath the bed, and “lacey underwear”. One officer then says: “Honestly though, I’m going back outside of work hours.”
Elsewhere, officers discussing Barnes describe her as a “dirty critter” and a “f*cking waste of space”. They also discuss trying to obtain a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) against her.
The recordings later capture officers watching footage of Barnes falling to the ground during her arrest. One officer jokes that she had gone down “like Cristiano Ronaldo” — apparently suggesting she exaggerated the fall.
How the recordings came to light
Barnes was arrested after she and other animal rights campaigners visited Bethel Street Police Station to deliver a petition calling for a man to be charged after his mobility scooter ran over a pigeon.
During the incident she was filming on her own body-worn camera, which officers seized while it was still recording. The public nuisance charge was later dropped and, when the camera was eventually returned, it contained more than four hours of recordings made inside the police station after her arrest.
Timeline
- January 2023: Barnes is arrested following a protest at Bethel Street Police Station. Her body-worn camera is seized while still recording.
- Later in 2023: The public nuisance charge is dropped.
- December 2023: The camera is returned containing more than four hours of recordings from inside the police station.
- January 2024: Barnes submits a 17-point complaint. Norfolk Constabulary begins a misconduct investigation.
- 2026: The IOPC recommends further investigation into aspects of the arrest, additional learning for officers and an apology for delays in handling the complaint.
- Now: Barnes is seeking a judicial review of the IOPC’s handling of the case, pursuing civil claims against Norfolk Constabulary, and newly released footage has prompted the force to carry out a further review.
Legal action
Barnes is bringing civil proceedings against Norfolk Constabulary alleging wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution, assault and battery, and trespass to goods. She is also seeking a judicial review of how the IOPC handled her complaint.
According to the force, the newly circulated footage contains material that was not previously available in its current format and is now being assessed. Because of the way the camera was stored after it was seized, police say it is difficult in some cases to identify which officer made particular comments.
Reaction
Barnes said: “This has been an incredibly gruelling and traumatic ordeal that has dragged on for almost three and a half years, with Norfolk Constabulary bending over backwards to protect officers from the consequences of their deplorable actions.
“The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental pillar of any democratic society. I will not tolerate being assaulted and unlawfully arrested by a police officer simply for exercising that right.
“For the past six years, I have been subjected to a vicious and sustained campaign of harassment by Norfolk Constabulary.
“What I believe to be overt corruption and a complete lack of accountability has irreparably damaged my trust in both the police and the bodies responsible for holding them to account.”
Her solicitor, John Hagan, of DPP Law, said the recordings offered an insight into the attitudes of some officers behind closed doors, adding that “it is not a pretty sight”.
A Norfolk Constabulary spokesperson said the recordings had previously formed part of a conduct investigation covering 17 aspects of a single complaint. The force said a number of matters had already been dealt with through misconduct procedures and that officers’ arrest and stop and search records had been reviewed without finding wider evidence of discriminatory behaviour.
It added that newly circulated material was now being reviewed, saying: “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.”
The force said it would take any action supported by the evidence.
Who is Gemma Barnes?
Gemma Barnes, 36, is an animal rights campaigner associated with Animal Rebellion. She has been arrested on numerous occasions during protests connected with the group’s campaigns and is currently involved in separate ongoing criminal proceedings arising from other demonstrations.
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