Two Hertfordshire police officers have been barred from working in the force after they took part in a WhatsApp group that shared bestiality porn and jokes about rape.

The constables' chat group - named 'Danny's got a sore vagina' - saw sexist and racist terms used over a two-year period.

PCs Charles Phipps and Robert Goldstone, both of Hertfordshire Constabulary, were both found for gross misconduct and barred from policing in the UK.

Phipps shared an image of a man inserting his penis into a cow's mouth, a misconduct hearing found.

The officer, who in 2013 trained to become a lesbian and gay liaison officer, also used terms including "b**ch**s", "n***e", "Jew" and "sheikhs".

Goldstone shared discriminatory slurs such as "h**o", "f****t", "b****r" and "n***a" into the WhatsApp group, which included three police officers.

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A newly published misconduct document from the hearing on May 31 states the officers' behaviour "would significantly risk undermining public confidence in policing" if it were made public.

Charlie Hall, chief constable of Hertfordshire Police, added: “[The] messaging also includes misogynistic comments and a failure to challenge similar comments by others.

"These are of national concern presently, especially since the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer."

Phipps resigned from the force in November 2021 and Goldstone left in February 2022 but both would have been dismissed without notice, according to the misconduct document.

St Albans & Harpenden Review: Hertfordshire Constabulary headquarters in Welwyn Garden City. Credit: Google MapsHertfordshire Constabulary headquarters in Welwyn Garden City. Credit: Google Maps (Image: Google Street View)

A third officer was separately sacked without notice for sharing jokes about being "out raping" on a WhatsApp group with colleagues.

PC Mark Williams sent twelve messages with terms including "gayyy", "paedo t***s", "I was out raping", "h**o", "b****r" and "f****t".

Chief constable Charlie Hall said in a misconduct hearing document: "His messaging also includes misogynistic comments, most notably an appalling comment about being out raping."

He added: "I have considered lesser sanctions first, but in this case believe that these would be insufficient and leave me unable to justify why I can have complete confidence that an officer who has repeatedly used such discriminatory words can be trusted to act fairly and impartially with all sections of the public.

"This would not only damage his ability to police effectively, but also have a consequential effect on confidence in the Constabulary as a whole."

Williams was dismissed without notice and barred from policing.