GMP inspector who phoned sex workers while on duty banned
A police inspector who made hundreds of calls on a force mobile phone to sex workers over six years, many while he was working, has been banned from policing.Greater Manchester Police said Toby Knight had resigned from the force on Wednesday, the day before he was due to appear before a disciplinary panel.The panel ruled that Insp Knight would have been sacked if he had not resigned.Amanda Rowe, director of the police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said: "Insp Knight's actions are compounded by the fact the communication was so extensive and over a very long period of time."
The IOPC, whose anti-corruption unit investigated Knight, said the officer, who had served for 17 years, was found to have "breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour for authority, respect and courtesy, discreditable conduct, honesty and integrity and orders and instructions".
'Calls while working'
He was arrested on 2 April 2024 and accepted during questioning he had contacted sex workers while on duty.A review of his work mobile phone calls identified adult sex workers were contacted 245 times between September 2018 and March 2024, with 176 calls taking place while he was working.In addition, a study of his personal mobile phone showed 357 communications with sex workers between May 2023 and April 2024 - 259 outgoing and 98 incoming.Investigators matched numbers on adverts for sex workers to those Knight had called.They also spoke with sex workers contacted by Knight who confirmed text exchanges with him.Ms Rowe also said: "Cases such as these have the real potential to impact on public confidence in the police."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Barcelona in Partey talks EXCLUSIVE, ‘green light' for Gyokeres deal, Sesko latest
Arteta on Guard of Honour Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says Liverpool 'deserve' their Guard of Honour. Arne Slot's champions were BOOED by Chelsea fans as they walked through the tribute of Enzo Maresca's team last weekend. Arteta doubled down on his assertion that Arsenal were 'the best team' in the Champions League and should have now been preparing for a Munich Final against Inter Milan. But the Spaniard, who admitted his side had taken a 'step backwards' this term, promised his team would show Anfield a display of dignity and use it as 'motivation' for next term. Liverpool deserve that. They've been the best team, they've been the most consistent. What Arne Slot and the coaching staff have done has been fascinating, it's been really good and they fully deserve it. And that's the sport, when somebody is better you have to applaud and accept and try to reach that level. Something that has to drive you, motivate you, and pain probably is a good one to use. When you don't really want to do something but it's the right thing to do, usually it is a motivation for next season. Mikel Arteta
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
People Fixing the World Shipping containers fixing the world
Shipping containers are a staple of global trade, helping in the transport of all sorts of goods by sea across the world. But their relatively cheap cost and sturdy structure lends them to many other purposes. In this episode we look at a start-up business in the UK that uses shipping containers to store carbon captured from the air in the production of building materials. And we visit a school for poorer children created out of shipping containers that sits in the middle of a busy intersection in Mumbai, India. People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@ And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer India reporter: Chhavi Sachdev Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines (Image: Myra with Nicholas Chadwick from Mission Zero outside a shipping container in Norfolk, BBC)
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning after two suspected opioid deaths at the weekend: Met Police urge Brits to take care after pills '500 times stronger than heroin' are feared to be being used in nightclubs
An urgent warning has been issued after two people died in a suspected synthetic opioid overdose following a night out over the weekend. A man, 28, and woman, 20, are thought to have taken Nitazenes, believed to be up to 500 times stronger than heroin, after partying at a south London nightclub during the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Their bodies were later discovered at a property in Southall, west London, after a concerned friend was unable to wake the pair. The Met Police confirmed an investigation into their 'sudden deaths' had commenced but no arrests had been made yet. The force added: 'This is following reports that the individuals allegedly passed away after taking an illicit substance in the form of a green pill.' Drug testing charity The Loop has suggested these pills contain Nitazenes, which can be '50 to 500 times stronger than heroin'. The organisation added that they are often sold under the pretence that they are oxycodone, a highly addictive prescription painkiller. A theory is that the pair thought they were taking oxycodone to assist them in getting to sleep, The Times reports. World famous south London club Ministry Of Sound warned its customers to 'stay safe' last week, just days after the deaths over Bank Holiday weekend. The pills taken by the users over the weekend had the number 80 on one side and possibly an 'OP' on the other, Ealing Council said. The Cause nightclub in east London has taken to its Instagram account to claim there had been 'several hospitalisations across multiple London venues' associated with the pills. MailOnline has approached the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to verify this statement. The Met Police has also been contacted for comment. An Ealing Council spokesperson told people to avoid taking the pills 'even in small amounts' and that people considering consuming them should not do so by themselves. Users should also think about carrying naloxone - an opioid overdose antidote. Nitazenes were first created in the 1950s as opioid painkillers but were never approved for medical use. For 70 years, their existence was forgotten. Then, after Britain and America's withdrawal from Afghanistan - and the Taliban's subsequent narcotics ban - they re-emerged as a way to strengthen low-purity heroin in case opium supplies dwindled. Experts are united in their fear of the rising risk of nitazenes. Yet, while heroin users are still vulnerable, young people buying traditionally legal drugs such as Valium and Xanax as coping mechanisms are also at risk. In fact, MailOnline analysis of data from the UK's only drug testing facility Wedinos has revealed that two-thirds of samples that contained nitazenes were supposed to be legal medications that could be purchased legally. Two-thirds of that total were bought by people intending to buy Valium (diazepam). So far, the number of nitazene-related deaths only stands at 458 in the last two years, up to April 13. However, there was a 166 per cent increase from 2023 (125 deaths) to 2024 (333 deaths) - more than double in a single year, and even that total is expected to rise once toxicology and forensic testing improves and is finalised. Steve Rolles, a senior policy analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, told MailOnline: 'The number of deaths is rising at an alarming rate. It's the tip of the iceberg. 'What has happened in the US should be a warning to policymakers in the UK. We could be heading to a US-style overdose crisis. We are talking thousands or tens of thousands dying. 'All the indications are that is what is happening. I'm very wary of scaremongering about drugs but I'm deeply worried about the potential carnage opioids could do in the UK. 'We already have the highest overdose rate in Europe. Nitazenes could make it way, way worse. 'This is a very serious public health emergency that's not being taken seriously enough.' He added: 'I am scared. There's almost one person dying every day from nitazenes and most people haven't even heard of it. 'If it was anything else, there would be national panic. The government hasn't grasped the urgency of this.' Rolles is starting to see heroin mixed with nitazenes on the streets of Britain. He said: 'It does seem it's getting more [prevalent] as the heroin supply dries up.'
