SHOCKING racist, sexist and homophobic messages exchanged between police officers were published today by a watchdog that found the highly offensive language was dismissed as “banter.”

Posts on WhatsApp and Facebook chat groups — including multiple references to rape, violence against women and racist and homophobic abuse — were revealed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The “disgraceful exchanges,” made by Metropolitan Police officers between 2016 and 2018, were published as part of the body’s report into a now disbanded Westminster team.

Nine of those responsible are still serving with the force, while another is working as a contractor in a staff role.

Officers shared messages about sexual violence, with one saying “I would happily rape you,” and another bragging he had hit his girlfriend, suggesting: “It makes them love you more.”

A different officer was referred to as “mcrapey raperson” [sic] because of rumours he had brought a woman to a police station for sex. 

Use of homophobic language included “fuck you bender,” while several racist messages, featuring references to African children and Auschwitz, are too offensive to print.

There were also derogatory terms for disabled people and messages about colleagues attending a festival dressed as known sex-offenders and a molested child.

The exchanges were uncovered during nine linked investigations into officers mostly based at Charing Cross police station.

The probes — launched in 2018 — began after ultimately unproven allegations that an officer had sex with a drunk person at a police station. 

The watchdog found that threats to “knife grassing c***s” were dismissed as banter to hide bullying and that officers felt unable to raise concerns.

Fourteen officers were investigated by the watchdog, and two were found to have a case to answer for gross misconduct, one of whom resigned and one was sacked.

Misconduct was proven against another two, one of whom received a written warning, while another four were placed under internal measures to improve performance.

The Met’s deputy assistant commissioner Bas Javid claimed he is “committed to creating an environment that is even more intolerant to those who do not uphold the high values and standards expected of us.”

However, Black Activists Rising Against Cuts co-founder Zita Holbourne slammed the revelations as “horrendous and vile.”

She told the Morning Star: “We already had no faith in the police and this report just demonstrates why we are right to feel this way.”

End Violence Against Women Coalition director Andrea Simon said: “We cannot keep having the same conversations about rebuilding trust and confidence in the police without seeing plans that will actually deliver accountability, transparency and a radical overhaul of the whole system, root and branch.

“These are not isolated incidents - these are systemic issues that must be matched by a response that reflects the gravity of the problem.”