'Policewoman tells team: Don't eat Sikh food'

A senior policewoman allegedly told officers not to eat Sikh food as their hygiene was poor.

The comments, made to officers about to police a large Sikh procession, have triggered a Scotland Yard investigation.

Police have set up an inquiry into the allegations after complaints were made internally and from representatives from Sikh temples. A Met spokesman said: "The process is in its early stages. The officer has not been suspended."

Himmat Sohi, president of the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall - the largest Sikh temple in Europe - said the matter needed sorting out quickly.

He told The Guardian: "The commissioner Sir John Stevens has been to our temple and eaten here and so have local commanders."

Suresh Grover of The Monitoring Group in Southall is reported as saying: "It smacks of racism. The standard of hygiene in the temples is extremely high."