Drunk police officer told pub security guard 'go back to Poland' in 'racist' rant when she was refused a drink in London bar, hearing told

A drunk police officer racially abused bar staff after they refused to serve her alcohol, a disciplinary hearing has been told. 

PC Gemma Street allegedly showed her warrant card to a Colombian bar worker, called her a drug dealer and told a security guard to 'go back to Poland and learn English'.

When police were called to the We Are Bar in Bishopsgate, PC Street questioned how long they had been in the force and asked to speak to them 'colleague to colleague', the hearing was told.

The 38-year-old was said to be off duty when the alleged incident happened in central London in January 2019.

PC Street denied two counts of gross misconduct at a police disciplinary hearing in the City of London.

PC Gemma Street was said to be off duty when the alleged incident happened the We Are Bar in Bishopsgate in central London in January 2019

PC Street, based at the Metropolitan Police Central Communications Command Centre in Lambeth, was approached by staff after she 'tossed a plastic table topper behind her which struck another customer.'

The situation was resolved but the officer began intimidating staff when they realised she was drunk and refused to serve her more alcohol, it was said.

The bar worker, referred to as Ms A, said: 'I could see her just staring at me directly and she was just not looking away. She was just angry that she was not getting served. It was a very, very dead stare towards me.'

The hearing was told PC Street beckoned Ms A over to her table and asked if there was a problem before showing her police warrant card underneath the table.

Ms A said: 'She took it out after I said she was not getting served.

'She then reached over and held the badge out and said, 'do we have a problem now?' Looking at me straight in the eye. She got really, really abusive towards security.'

Kevin Baumber, counsel for PC Street, suggested the officer showed her badge to reassure Ms A that 'there would be no trouble because she was a police officer.'

But Ms A  said: 'She accused me of drugging her the whole night and of being a drug dealer. 

'She said she was going to return in three days to see me. She said we had better get her a drink. She was saying it aggressively.

'I asked 'are you on duty?' and she said 'I am always on duty' and that is when I said that is another reason not to serve you.

'She tried to take a picture of the waitress and myself. She was shouting at the waitress. She was very close to my personal space. It was worrying. It was very offensive to myself and my culture.'

In evidence played to the court, PC Street can be heard saying: 'Everyone is going to lose their jobs. She is English, the rest are all Polish.' 

Ms A also claimed the officer made racist comments towards security staff before she called police to diffuse the situation. 

But Mr Baumber suggested Ms A never heard such comments and asked why she did not mention them on the phone to police.

PC Street denied two counts of gross misconduct at a police disciplinary hearing at the International Dispute Resolution Centre on Fleet Street in the City of London

Julien Walters, counsel for the Metropolitan Police Service , described PC Street's behaviour as 'racist' and 'discriminatory' and amounting to gross misconduct.

He told the hearing: 'You said to a member of the security staff "this is England and you have to go back to Poland and learn English."  

'If members of the public knew that a police officer had conducted herself as above, this would bring the police service into disrepute.' 

PC Street denies breaching the standards of professional behaviour in relation to equality and diversity and discreditable conduct. 

Mr Baumber suggested the only comment about drugs was made by the doorman who told the officer that drugs 'would be planted on her.'

Referring to City of London police body cam footage, he suggested uniformed officers did not take PC Street seriously when she claimed she had intelligence regarding drugs.

In the footage, she is heard asking officers to speak 'colleague to colleague' and telling of 'wronguns and thugs who tried to push drugs down her throat.'

PC Street denies two counts of gross misconduct relating to disorderly behaviour and racist remarks. The hearing continues.