A woman is taking legal action against the Metropolitan Police after a 999 call handler made offensive comments about Sarah Everard and referred to a rape victim as a “slut.”

Issy Vine, 30, is alleging constructive dismissal after the male colleague made a series of inappropriate remarks during a shift and later followed her home.

Ms. Vine, from Wimbledon in southwest London, filed a formal complaint against the call handler, leading to his dismissal for gross misconduct in November 2023.

However, the handler successfully appealed the decision and was reinstated after Met bosses ruled the initial panel had been too “emotional” following the release of Baroness Casey’s damning report, which labeled the force as institutionally racist and misogynistic.

Ms. Vine is now suing the Met, claiming she cannot work alongside the handler. The unnamed staff member allegedly called a rape victim a “slut” while taking her report.

The victim had disclosed that she had become pregnant and contracted an STI as a result of the assault. Ms. Vine recounted that after hearing this, her colleague covered his mouth with his hand and said, “She sounds like a slut.”

In another incident during the same shift, Ms. Vine claims the handler nudged her while she was on a call and said, “Can I be unkind? I have just had a call from an immigrant.” He then showed her his phone, on which he had written, “Why don’t you f*** off back to your own country?”

In a third incident, the handler reportedly referred to Clapham Common as “Sarah Everard turf.” Sarah Everard was abducted from Clapham Common by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, who later raped and murdered her.

Ms. Vine also alleged that despite telling her he lived in the opposite direction, the colleague followed her onto a bus and the Tube as she made her way home at 11 p.m.

Although the call handler was initially fired following Ms. Vine’s complaint, he was reinstated in March 2024 after an appeal found the dismissal ruling to be “too harsh.”

Ms. Vine subsequently lodged a grievance against the Met but resigned in November, feeling unable to continue working with him.

She is now seeking damages for constructive dismissal, sexual harassment, whistleblowing detriment, and a failure to make reasonable adjustments.

Ms. Vine expressed her disappointment, stating, “I always wanted to join the police to help people, because that is what the police do. I want people to feel safe and secure knowing they can depend on an authority with decent people behind it. But now I worry whether that is actually the case or whether the very people who are being employed to protect us are part of the problem.”

She added, “And even when you try to bring that to light, you are dragged through a flawed and horrendous misconduct process. I thought I was part of an organisation that wanted to stamp out this behaviour, not give second chances to it.” Ms. Vine also revealed that she has lost out on a “life-long career” and now suffers from anxiety.

Commander Jason Prins of the Met responded to the allegations, stating, “These discriminatory comments were entirely unacceptable, which is why this matter was brought to a misconduct hearing. We take the former staff member’s concerns about the outcome of the misconduct process extremely seriously and it has been subject to a thorough review.”

No date has yet been set for the hearing. The case highlights ongoing concerns about the culture within the Met Police and its handling of misconduct allegations.

Jack Draper is proving he belongs among the elite in men’s tennis, according to his coach James Trotman, who has praised the Brit’s belief and development on the biggest stage.

The world No. 14 continued his impressive start to 2025 by defeating Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-5 in the Indian Wells quarter-finals, just two weeks after reaching the final in Doha.

With a semi-final clash against Carlos Alcaraz now on the horizon, Trotman shared insights into Draper’s evolution and what it will take to overcome the world No. 3.

Draper’s Growth and Confidence at the Top Level

Since beginning their full-time partnership in late 2021, when Draper was ranked outside the top 250, Trotman has seen a dramatic transformation in his game and mindset.

“I think a lot of hard work has gone into these years,” Trotman told Sky Sports. “There’s been a lot of game development, and we’re always focusing on that.”

The coach emphasized how much Draper now believes in his ability to compete with the world’s best.

“He feels like he belongs at this level and can perform against the top players on the biggest stage,” he added.

Draper’s rise hasn’t come without its challenges, including injury setbacks. A minor issue in the off-season limited his match play, but despite that, he made a strong run in Australia, reached the final in Doha, and is now into the Indian Wells semi-finals.

“For the amount of tennis he’s played, he’s performed really well,” Trotman said. “We just need to get more tournaments under his belt while continuing to work on his body and making the right decisions at the right time.”

Facing Alcaraz: The Key to Victory

Draper now faces a major test against Carlos Alcaraz, who has dominated Indian Wells in recent years winning the last two titles and 32 of his last 34 sets at the tournament.

Trotman knows his player will have to be at his best.

“Look, he’s going to have to serve well—there’s no doubt about it,” Trotman said. “If Jack’s serve is firing, it’s a weapon against anybody in the world. It’ll help him build pressure, relax, and play more aggressively.”

He also highlighted the importance of keeping up the pace against the Spaniard.

“You don’t want to drop your ball speed too much against Carlos and allow him to dictate with his physicality,” he explained.

Head-to-Head: Can Draper Even the Score?

Alcaraz holds a 3-1 advantage in their rivalry, but Draper has proven he can beat the four-time Grand Slam champion.

His lone victory came on grass in London in 2024 with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win.

Their most recent encounter, however, ended in disappointment for Draper. At the 2025 Australian Open, he was forced to retire with hip discomfort after falling two sets behind.

Now fully fit and playing some of his best tennis, Draper has another shot at taking down one of the sport’s most dominant players. With his serve, confidence, and aggressive play, he’ll look to pull off one of the biggest wins of his career at Indian Wells.

Iga Swiatek’s semifinal loss to Mirra Andreeva at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells was filled with drama.

The defending champion saw her title defense come to an abrupt end on Friday, March 14, as the 17-year-old Andreeva staged a stunning upset.

Swiatek, who had previously claimed the Indian Wells title in 2022 and 2024, had looked dominant throughout the tournament, securing convincing wins over Carolina Garcia, Dayana Yastremska, Karolina Muchova, and Zheng Qinwen.

However, her clash with Andreeva proved to be an entirely different challenge.

The young Russian fought hard to take the opening set in a tense tiebreak, 7-6(1). Swiatek responded emphatically in the second, dropping just one game to level the match.

But the final set saw the 23-year-old struggle, starting with an early break of serve that put her on the back foot.

As frustration mounted, Swiatek’s emotions spilled over. In a heated moment, she slammed a ball into the ground after receiving it from a ball kid.

The ball bounced straight up into the stands near her team, causing the ball kid to flinch.

Given past incidents where players like Novak Djokovic, Miyu Kato, and Denis Shapovalov were defaulted for accidentally hitting on-court staff, Swiatek’s outburst sparked online debate, with many fans arguing that she had “narrowly escaped a disqualification.”

Later in the third set, with Andreeva leading 3-1 on serve, Swiatek rushed to the chair umpire, appearing to “argue” that she was being distracted by the movement of the ball kids during her opponent’s serve.

Ultimately, Swiatek couldn’t regain her composure, falling to Andreeva in a match that will be remembered for both its high-quality tennis and its controversy.

Mirra Andreeva maintained her momentum, extending her lead and sealing the victory with a final score of 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3. She will now take on Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final on Sunday, March 16.

Iga Swiatek also took her frustrations out on her team after Dubai loss to Mirra Andreeva

This isn’t the first time Iga Swiatek has shown frustration toward her team in recent weeks. Just last month, Mirra Andreeva claimed her first-ever victory over the five-time Grand Slam champion at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

After suffering a 6-3, 6-3 quarterfinal defeat to the eventual champion, Swiatek visibly snubbed her coach, Wim Fissette, as he approached to console her.

At the Qatar Open, where she was aiming for a fourth consecutive title, Swiatek once again struggled this time against Jelena Ostapenko, marking her fifth straight loss to the Latvian.

Frustration boiled over during the match as she uncharacteristically slammed her racquet to the ground in anger.

Now, the world No.1 will look to regroup quickly as she shifts her focus to the Miami Open, where she hopes to capture her second title after her triumph in 2022.

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