London Bridge Attack Hero Sacked Over Offensive WhatsApp Messages

Detective Constable Mark Luker, one of the first responders to the 2017 London Bridge terror attack, has been dismissed from the British Transport Police for gross misconduct. The dismissal stems from the use of offensive language, including the term “pikey,” in WhatsApp messages directed towards Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Details of the Misconduct

A misconduct panel found that Detective Constable Luker used derogatory language within a WhatsApp group called ‘Selbie Gumshoes’ alongside other members of the Major Serious and Organised Crime (MSOC) team. On December 31, 2024, during a conversation about a bottle of whiskey with a security tag, he wrote: “Was this a raffle on a certain kind of site? Lots of mobile type homes? Lots of ‘Dags’”, referencing a scene from the film Snatch where a character’s accent is mocked The Independent.

He followed this message with: “You are the MSOC pikey liaison.” The panel determined these messages deliberately linked the Irish Traveller community to acts of theft. He also referred to “scrap metal, lead roofing and cable,” which he admitted was a joke associating the Irish Traveller community with theft LBC.

On March 17, 2025, after another group member shared a video of a “Paddy Day parade on Inishbofin,” Luker replied: “Off to identify some scrap metal, lead roofing and cable” The Independent.

The panel concluded that Luker likely knew the language was offensive to a minority community and ruled his actions as gross misconduct Standard.

Luker’s Defense

Luker stated that he was one of the first police officers to arrive at the scene of the 2017 London Bridge terror attack and that using humour was one of his coping mechanisms. He claimed he did not intend for the word “pikey” to be offensive Standard.

Panel’s Findings

Despite acknowledging Luker’s service and his role as a first responder to the terror attack, the panel found that his messages were “deliberate and discriminatory” Sky News. The panel also noted that while Luker is not “inherently racist”, he probably knew the language was offensive.

The decision to dismiss Detective Constable Luker was made on February 21, 2026 LBC.