by SIMONROGERSON

Police are using covert surveillance to film racist vandals, but racism is still a serious issue within the force itself, according to Harrow's police chief.

The video scheme was revealed at a public meeting of Harrow Police and Community Consultative Group (HPCCG) in which Chief Superintendent Bob Aitchison also revealed that he sacked one of his own officers earlier this year for allegedly racist behaviour.

The officer has appealed and the case is the subject of an investigation by Commissioner Sir Paul Condon. Mr Aitchison declined to release further details until the result of the appeal is known.

Mr Aitchison told the meeting he was not prepared to tolerate any racism among his staff and spoke at length about the implications of the Stephen Lawrence case for the policing of multi-cultural areas such as Harrow.

He said: "We have got to show that we are anti-racism in everything that we do and say. We must be intolerant of failure when officers are found wanting in this area."

With the number of reported racial incidents still increasing in Harrow, Mr Aitchison said increasingly sophisticated methods were being used to crack down on offenders.

The pioneering covert surveillance scheme was used during the recent Diwali celebrations in an attempt to film racists who had caused continual problems in a specific area.

In the event, no conclusive footage was filmed, but police are prepared to use the same tactics again when patrols are not sufficient to solve a problem.

"Our real strength lies in the intelligence we pick up from the community," Mr Aitchison said. "I want to work with all the organisations in Harrow."

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