GMP officer, brother of airport thug, sacked for racism, Bury 2026

Key Points

• Mohammed Abid, brother of convicted Manchester Airport attacker Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, has been terminated from Greater Manchester Police for gross misconduct.
• The disciplinary panel said that Abid made a racial slur about his workmate, calling her braided hair like a “mop”.
• Six police officers who are currently working in Greater Manchester Police were terminated from their duties without notice; two other former police officers would have been terminated from their duties had they still been employed.
• The disciplinary panel also concluded that there was “mocking of accents culture” in the Bury division of GMP, as the accent and laughing of the complainant were mocked for months.
• All eight police officers who have been charged with gross misconduct have been barred from becoming police officers in the future by adding them to the barred list of College of Policing.
• Another sergeant named Adrian Bick got a final written warning for misconduct unrelated to equality and diversity breach.

Bury (Manchester Mirror) September 03, 2026 – Six serving Greater Manchester Police officers have been dismissed without notice after a misconduct panel concluded they committed gross misconduct by racially mocking a black female colleague, with PC Mohammed Abid singled out for a racist comment about her hair. The panel’s findings, delivered on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, also covered two former officers who would have been sacked had they not already left the force, and a ninth officer who received a written warning.

Who was dismissed and what did the panel find?

The misconduct hearing, which ran for just over two weeks, examined behaviour towards a female officer identified only as “PC Y”, who is of African heritage and speaks fluent English. Assistant Chief Officer Jonathan Roy, chair of the panel, said there was a “culture of mocking accents” within the Bury district team, so entrenched that new members were “infected with it within weeks of joining the team”.

The panel found that the actions of PC Mohammed Abid, PC Demi Green, PC Heena Rani, PC Lucy Granby, PC Matthew Barlow, PC Matthew Hill, former PC Jake Holt and a former officer granted anonymity amounted to gross misconduct. All eight have been placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, meaning they cannot return to any role in policing.

Sergeant Adrian Bick was found to have committed misconduct, but not gross misconduct, and received a final written warning after comparing a photograph of a suspect to PC Y; the panel said there was no breach of the equality and diversity standard in his case.

What racist comment was made about PC Y’s hair?

As reported in coverage of the hearing, the panel found as fact that PC Abid told PC Y her braided hair looked “like a mop”, smiling and walking away afterwards. Abid denied making the remark and claimed the accuser was lying, even suggesting he was the victim of racism, but the panel rejected his denials and accepted PC Y’s account.

Assistant Chief Officer Roy said the comment would have been potentially offensive to any person, but in relation to PC Y it concerned a protected characteristic relating to race, and was therefore considered a racist comment. GMP has described the remark as unwanted, offensive, racist and disrespectful in earlier reporting on the hearing.

How was PC Y’s accent mocked in the Bury division?

In addition to the hair remark, the panel found PC Y was subjected to sustained mocking of her accent and laugh by colleagues in the Bury division over a period described in reports as up to a year. PCs Demi Green, Heena Rani, Lucy Granby, Matthew Barlow, Matthew Hill and former PC Jake Holt were all involved in mimicking her accent, with former Officer A also joining in to a lesser degree.

PC Y, giving evidence by video link, said the behaviour made her feel “upset”, “uncomfortable”, “nervous” and “quite anxious”, and that colleagues would copy whatever she said and then laugh about it daily. Although PCs Granby and Rani later apologised, the panel found the mocking continued.

What did Mohammed Abid say in his defence?

PC Mohammed Abid, a former criminology student at Manchester Metropolitan University, told the hearing he would never comment on the appearance of an older woman, citing his upbringing and respect for females in his culture. He said:

“No, I wouldn’t do that… I have got a wife, I have got sisters, I have got a mother. Since young I have been brought up to respect my elders, especially females.”

He maintained that PC Y was not telling the truth and said he could not explain why she had alleged what she did. The panel, however, found no reason to disbelieve PC Y’s account, partly in light of the broader findings about the culture of mocking in the team.

How does this link to the Manchester Airport assault case?

PC Mohammed Abid is the brother of Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, who was jailed for three-and-a-half years earlier in 2026 for repeatedly punching PCs Lydia Ward and Ellie Cook during an incident at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2 on July 23, 2024. While suspended from GMP duties but still an officer, Abid gave glowing character evidence for his brother at trial, describing him as respectful, gentle and soft‑spoken, and saying Fahir looked up to him as a role model.

The airport assault case also involved Abid’s other brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, who in May 2026 was acquitted alongside Fahir Amaaz of a separate charge of attacking PC Zachary Marsden after two juries failed to reach verdicts and prosecutors opted against a third trial. Footage from the original airport incident showed PC Marsden kicking Amaaz after he had been floored by a Taser; no officers faced trial over that action after the CPS decided not to charge them.

What did GMP leadership say after the dismissals?

Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said no officer or member of staff should have to come to work and experience discriminatory behaviour from colleagues, and that everyone has the right to feel respected and part of the same team. He acknowledged the courage of the officer who reported the concerns and stressed the importance of people having confidence to speak up, knowing they will be listened to and supported.

Woods added that since the investigation began, GMP’s Bury district had worked with officers, staff and community representatives to listen to concerns, take action and ensure the force remains a police service that diverse communities can identify with and be proud of.

Background to the GMP racism investigation and disciplinary process

Greater Manchester Police launched its internal investigation in July 2024 after a report was made that an officer had been subjected to racist behaviour by colleagues in December 2023 in the Bury district. The probe, conducted by GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, led to misconduct proceedings against nine officers, with the panel hearing evidence over just over two weeks before delivering its findings on September 2, 2026.

The panel concluded that the officers breached Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Equality and Diversity, Authority, Respect and Courtesy, and, for most, Discreditable Conduct. The six serving officers were dismissed without notice, while the two former officers were told they would have been dismissed had they not already left the force. Their addition to the College of Policing’s barred list ensures they cannot re‑enter policing in any capacity.

Prediction: How this development may affect GMP officers and public trust

This development is likely to intensify scrutiny of workplace culture within Greater Manchester Police, particularly in local divisions such as Bury, and may prompt further internal reviews of equality and diversity practices. For GMP officers, the sackings and barred‑list placements signal that racist remarks and accent mocking will be treated as career‑ending gross misconduct, which could encourage more reporting of discriminatory behaviour but also increase pressure on teams to demonstrate inclusive conduct.

For the public, especially black and minority ethnic communities in Greater Manchester, the case may both reinforce concerns about racism inside the force and, depending on how GMP implements reforms, potentially improve confidence that complaints are taken seriously. The prominence of the Manchester Airport link means the story will attract wider attention, potentially affecting perceptions of GMP’s professionalism at a time when the force is already under observation over high‑profile incidents.