A police constable whose brothers were caught on camera fighting officers at Manchester Airport has himself been sacked after a misconduct panel found he made a racist remark comparing a black colleague's braided hair to a "mop". PC Mohammed Abid, 29, was one of six serving officers based at Bury police station dismissed after the black colleague, referred to as PC Y, complained about being mocked over her appearance and accent. The case is notable because Abid had previously given a glowing character reference for his brother Mohammed Fahir Amaaz during the widely publicised airport assault trial, without jurors being told he was facing his own racism disciplinary proceedings.

The misconduct panel heard that Abid told PC Y her braided hairstyle "looked like a mop" before smiling and walking away; he denied it, but the panel ruled the comment was "targeted, deliberate and offensive" given the cultural significance of the hairstyle. Five other serving officers – PCs Heena Rani, Lucy Granby, Demi Green, Matthew Barlow and Matthew Hill – were dismissed for mimicking PC Y's African accent or failing to report it, while two former constables would also have been sacked had they not already resigned, and a sergeant received a written warning. Panel chairman Jonathan Roy said the officers' conduct was "serious" and had damaged public trust in the police.