Two former Metropolitan Police officers, Jonathan Clapham and Sam Franks, have been reinstated and will receive back pay after winning their appeal against dismissal. They were initially fired in October 2023 for allegedly lying about smelling cannabis during a stop and search of British athlete Bianca Williams and her partner, Portugal Olympic sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, in July 2020.

The incident occurred when the officers pulled over Williams and Dos Santos in Maida Vale, west London, while they were driving home from training with their three-month-old baby. Despite searching the couple, no drugs or weapons were found. A disciplinary panel initially ruled that Clapham and Franks lied about smelling cannabis, leading to their dismissal.

However, the Police Appeals Tribunal overturned this decision, deeming it “irrational” and “inconsistent.” Tribunal chairman Damien Moore stated that both officers were “dedicated, hard-working, and much respected” and that their reputations had been “ruined” by the original findings.

Rick Prior, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, welcomed the appeal outcome, saying, “Justice has been served. Why it ever got to this point, however, remains an absolute mystery.”

It’s worth noting that Bianca Williams had alleged racial profiling played a role in the officers’ conduct, but this complaint was not upheld in the original misconduct tribunal. Williams recently competed in the Paris Olympics, winning a silver medal as part of the women’s 4x100m quartet.