The two officers and four staff from Essex Police are said to belonged to a private group on the encrypted service. Essex Police declined to discuss the nature of the messages exchanged in the WhatsApp group but experts have indicated for all six to be suspended they must have been 'offensive and unpleasant'. The suspended workers are based at Essex Police's HQ in Chelmsford where hundreds of officers and staff work on specialist units, the control room and crime bureau. The internal investigation will not look into whether any criminal offences were committed. Former Met commander John O’ Connor added: “It has to be very serious to suspend over something like messages on WhatsApp."

Source: Daily Mirror July 22, 2020 17:11 UTC