Bianca Williams: Sprinter says she had nothing to hide in search

A sprinter who was stopped by police in west London has told a misconduct hearing she had "nothing to hide" during the search.

Bianca Williams and her partner Ricardo dos Santos had their three-month-old baby in the car when they were searched in Maida Vale in July 2020.

Ms Williams cried as she told the hearing about being handcuffed while her baby son wept in the vehicle.

Five Met Police officers have denied accusations of gross misconduct.

The hearing was shown police body-cam footage of Ms Williams being detained in which she was heard saying: "This is ridiculous, go and have a look in the car."

During the stop, the couple were handcuffed for 45 minutes, searched for weapons and drugs and separated from their son.

No weapons or drugs were found and neither of them were arrested.

While giving evidence, the 29-year-old was asked about her attitude towards the police after speaking about her partner Ricardo Dos Santos being stopped and searched on multiple occasions in the past.

"It's hard to keep calm when you're constantly pulled over and given a rubbish excuse," she said.

The pair have accused the force of racism over the incident.

The British athlete told the misconduct panel that she did not recall Mr Dos Santos speeding or driving erratically on the day they were stopped.

Her partner claimed officers approached his car aggressively with "glass cutters and batons raised" when he pulled up outside his house, before they detained him and Ms Williams.

Body-worn footage of the encounter showed officers pulling Mr Dos Santos from the driver's seat and taking him to the roadside where they handcuffed him.

A tearful Ms Williams could be heard in the footage telling police: "My son is in the car - I need to look after him."

Moments later, she was also handcuffed.

At the hearing Ms Williams denied suggestions that her partner could have acted differently to avoid police attention, insisting that "he can't change the colour of his skin".

Video of the search went viral on social media, showing Ms Williams distressed after being separated from her baby.

The Met Police later referred itself to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Acting Sgt Rachel Simpson and PCs Allan Casey, Jonathan Clapham, Michael Bond and Sam Franks all face allegations that they breached police standards regarding equality and diversity during the stop and search.

Acting Sgt Simpson and PCs Clapham, Bond and Franks are accused of breaching standards over use of force and respect.

PCs Casey, Clapham, Bond and Franks also face allegations over the accuracy of their account of the stop.

They have said they believed the car was being driven suspiciously and have denied any wrongdoing.

The hearing continues.

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