Two Metropolitan Police officers used their personal mobile phones to take and share evidence photos, including images of deceased individuals, during an investigation at an elderly care home in Dalston, east London, in September 2021, a misconduct hearing has revealed. The practice was defended by officers as necessary due to poor-quality force-issued devices, raising serious concerns over data handling and ethics within the Met.
Evidence Photos Taken On Phones
PC Zak Malik took a photo of a decomposed body on his personal phone and sent it via WhatsApp to PC Billy Manning, who retained the images on his phone despite deleting some locally. The officers used WhatsApp as a method to compress files before uploading them to the Met’s system to pass to the coroner.
Uncomfortable Training Moment
At a taser training session months later, PC Manning showed colleagues the graphic photo, describing it as “a bad one.” Some officers felt uneasy and reported him. This led to Manning’s arrest and a review of his phone, which contained further images related to investigations.
Widespread Phone Use Revealed
The hearing also heard that PC Frankie Jordan, another officer, kept evidence photos on his personal phone and claimed this was common practice due to being supplied with substandard police-issued tablets and no official mobile phones. Several officers admitted to similar conduct, exposing inconsistent protocols within the force.
Conflicting Police Guidelines
Senior Met officers acknowledged confusion and conflicting guidance on the use of personal devices for police work. In February 2022, the leadership team formally banned personal phone use for such purposes, but enforcement remained challenging amid varied interpretations.
Disciplinary Outcomes And Apology
Following the public misconduct hearing from November 2025 to February 2026, PC Manning received a two-year final written warning, while PC Jordan was handed a three-year warning. A Met Police spokesperson condemned their behaviour as below expected standards and issued an apology to those affected by the officers’ actions.
