SEVENTEEN police officers and four civilian staff based in the Borders are under investigation over e-mails of a “racist and sexual nature” circulating on an internal computer system.
A 51-year-old police officer has already been suspended while the probe takes place with disciplinary action against others anticipated.
All 21 male and female employees work within G Division of Lothian and Borders Police.
The force said they had a facility in place to monitor e-mails entering, existing and being exchanged within the internal police e-mail system.
As a result of this scrutiny, emails containing “inappropriate and offensive material” were recently detected.
Deputy Chief Constable Bill Skelly of Lothian and Borders Police said: “It is of huge disappointment to me, the force, and I am sure, the communities we serve, that e-mails of a racist and sexist nature were circulated on our system.”
More in this week’s Southern.