Five Metropolitan Police officers and three former officers are being investigated for gross misconduct over the handling of the investigation into the murders by serial killer Stephen Port, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the officers are being investigated for possible breaches of police professional standards relating variously to equality and diversity, duties and responsibilities, authority respect and courtesy and honesty and integrity.

The IOPC opened a re-investigation in 2022 into the way the Met initially handled its investigations into the murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor in Barking, east London.

In the original Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation, the IOPC’s predecessor, which was completed in August 2018, the actions of multiple officers were examined and 17 of those were subjects in the investigation. When interviewed, 16 of the 17 officers chose to provide written accounts.

Five of the officers under investigation for gross misconduct were subjects in the initial IPCC probe.