London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Guard tells of toxic and racist culture at G4S Gatwick immigration removal centre

Guard tells of toxic and racist culture at G4S Gatwick immigration removal centre

Inquiry into events in 2017 hears how Brook House officers ‘radicalised’ into racists

A whistleblower guard who worked at the controversial immigration detention centre Brook House has told a public inquiry into abuses there that staff were “radicalised” into being racist because of a toxic culture.

The public inquiry was launched after a BBC Panorama programme in September 2017 used undercover filming to expose a culture of abuse and humiliation of immigration detainees at the Home Office removal centre near Gatwick, run by the contractor G4S.

Owen Syred, who worked at the centre for more than a decade, both as a detention custody officer and a welfare officer, told the inquiry on Tuesday that he had raised concerns about racism, violence, a lack of skills to deal with vulnerable people with complex problems, and an “us and them” culture between staff and detainees.

He described one officer whose attitude changed after he started work at the centre. At first he had been polite and got along with everyone but then became a different person, Syred said. “Some staff got conditioned, almost like radicalised into stereotyping nationalities,” he said. He added that some staff either became racist after working at Brook House or, if they were racist already, became even more so.

Syred told the inquiry that he saw former staff post on Facebook that they were members of the far-right groups Britain First or Knights Templar. “I do believe there were certain staff radicalised into being racist,” he said.

One example of racism he cited was an officer who said: “I bloody hate this lot. No wonder I’m racist.” When a staff member was seen eating plantain crisps, Syred said, another officer had commented: “They are crisps for [N-word].” A third officer had said he didn’t care if he was racist, Syred told the inquiry.

When Syred reported racist incidents in 2014 he was accused of being a grass and a snitch. He had notes stuck on his locker saying “N-lover” and “grass”.

He told the inquiry staff had penalised him for caring about the detainees and referred to him in a derogatory way as “a cuddly care bear”. On one occasion, after he had eaten lunch with some detainees, he had been asked: “Why are you sitting with these animals?”

Drug use and smuggling were rife and Syred said he believed some officers may have been involved. He said a detainee had offered him £25,000 to collect drugs from a restaurant in a nearby town and bring them into the detention centre.

In 2017, he said, he saw a popular and “loud” guard punching a detainee – who was already successfully restrained – two or three times in the face. He said he had been fearful of reporting the attack because of the earlier bullying and intimidation campaign against him for being a “grass”.

The inquiry is focusing on the period between April and August 2017 and scrutinising the culture and attitudes among staff.

After the Panorama broadcast, 10 members of staff were dismissed or resigned. Despite a police investigation no prosecutions were brought but two former detainees successfully argued for a full independent investigation. Serco took over the running of Brook House from G4S in May 2020.

Callum Tulley, a guard at the centre, approached the BBC about his concerns and then filmed undercover at the centre. He recorded one G4S officer throttling a detainee, digging his fingers into the man’s neck and whispering in his ear: “Don’t move, you fucking piece of shit, I’m going to put you to fucking sleep.”

G4S said after the Panorama revelations that an internal investigation was under way into the conduct of staff members shown in the programme. It said additional safeguards were being put in place to protect detainees, including extending the use of body-worn cameras to de-escalate potentially violent situations, appointing whistleblowing guardians on each wing of the centre to encourage staff to raise concerns, and increasing the frequency of random searches to detect drugs.

The inquiry continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×