Met race watchdog hit by staff complaints

A watchdog set up to fight racism in the Metropolitan Police is in "turmoil" over complaints by its own black staff, leaked reports reveal today.

The Metropolitan Police Authority is branded " dysfunctional" while its managers are said to avoid tackling problems "for fear of being targeted and pilloried".

The findings come from two inquiries commissioned by the MPA and carried out by independent consultants.

Neither report has been made public. But their conclusions have been circulated among staff and seen by the Evening Standard.

The MPA was established to oversee the Met after the force was branded " institutionally racist" in the Macpherson Report into the Stephen Lawrence murder.

Julia Smith, the MPA's head of race and diversity, quit last month with a payoff of about ?100,000 after claiming race and sex discrimination. Two more black officials are taking race claims to employment tribunals.

An MPA spokeswoman pointed to the positive comments in the reports.