A police officer was sacked for a scathing Twitter tirade about Just Stop Oil protesters after claiming they had a “mental health condition”.
Merseyside Police Inspector Ross Meredith, who served in the police force for nearly three decades, posted derogatory and ableist comments that were found to amount to gross misconduct following a hearing earlier this month.
The police force received information expressing concern about the former’ officer’s Twitter, now X, account on April 2, 2024. He was told to remove the posts, but just two months later further information revealed there were still three “unacceptable” pieces material on his account, Liverpool Echo reported.
The hearing heard that on July 7 2023 he posted on his X account in response to a comment from Just Stop Oil’s official account: “Each pathetic protest results in fewer people supporting their cause. This evil cult are so dim they simply don’t realise the futility of their tantrums. The government doesn’t care about orange JSO r****** [this ableist word was written in full in the actual post] hurting normal people.”
Activists of Just Stop Oil climate campaign group hold a banner at Barons Court in west London
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On May 13 of the same year, he posted another response below a comment from Just Stop Oil concerning arrests by the Metropolitan Police: “You’ve lost the argument. All you ever do is harass & disrupt normal people & hinder the important chapters in their lives. Those in power view you as nothing more than dog dirt in the grooves of a shoe. Stop acting like spoilt special needs kids & stop wearing oil-based tabards.”
And on July 2 2022, he posted in response to a TalkTV comment about a Just Stop Oil protester who had glued themselves to a painting. He wrote: “Other than suffering from a mental health condition, there is no other rational explanation.”
Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss, who chaired the hearing held on January 6 and 7 this year, said former Inspector Meredith admitted misconduct only in relation to the replies in 2023. He denied the reply posted in July 2022 amounted to misconduct or that it breached the standards of professional behaviour.
However, Assistant Chief Constable Goss said: “In relation to the language used in the reply on July 2 2022, I have concluded that Inspector Meredith also breached the standards of professional behaviour alleged in respect of that reply.
“The comment was intended to denigrate JSO activists, suggesting they were the actions of someone who was suffering from mental illness. The natural meaning of what the officer commented was that the only reason someone might behave in that way was because they were mentally ill. After careful thought, I cannot see what other meaning was intended within the context of the message.”
The Assistant Chief Constable added: “The language used by the officer was offensive, derogatory and unbecoming of a police officer. The officer’s comments demonstrated a lack of respect and courtesy for those with disabilities, as well as a lack of impartiality in dealing with groups of people who have strong legitimate views around the important issue of climate control.
The hearing heard that on July 7 2023 he posted on his X account in response to a comment from Just Stop Oil’s official account
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“The comments were discriminatory and had the potential to bring the police service into disrepute and undermine public confidence in both Merseyside Police and policing nationally.” The former inspector was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct for discreditable conduct; authority; respect and courtesy and equality and diversity.
Former Inspector Meredith held a number of positions while at Merseyside Police. After rising through the ranks in a previously unblemished career, he recently acted as a community inspector across Wirral and as a bronze team responder responsible for operational decisions during high profile incidents. The ECHO understands the former officer was also part of Merseyside Police’s LGBTQ+ Network, whose work includes “promoting inclusion” in the community.
Following the accelerated misconduct hearing, the former officer was axed from the force without notice and will subsequently be barred from becoming an officer again after he was added to the College of Policing’s barred list for a minimum of five years. Detective Chief Superintendent Sarbjit Kaur, head of Merseyside Police’s professional standards, told the ECHO: “Inspector Meredith’s actions undermine the good work of officers and staff, the overwhelming majority of whom consistently strive to protect our communities every day they turn up for work.”
Following the officer’s dismissal, Detective Chief Superintendent Kaur added: “We always demand the highest possible standards from all our officers and staff, both on and off duty. We work proactively to root out and investigate officers and staff whose behaviour falls short of the very high standards the public of Merseyside expect and deserve.
“We want to hear about officers and staff who do not uphold the values we demand and have introduced Call It Out, an internal campaign to encourage colleagues to call out behaviour that does not align with our principles. It empowers officers and staff to challenge behaviour in the workplace, as well as providing an avenue to confidentially report behaviour into our professional standards department.
“Its aim is to stop such behaviour, by rooting out those prepared to cross the line and to demonstrate very clearly what is not acceptable in Merseyside Police. If any officer is found to be behaving in a way that does not meet our high standards we will take robust action to ensure the public across Merseyside can continue to have the utmost confidence in the force.”