Policeman brother of Manchester Airport attackers described black colleague's braided hair as 'looking like a mop', misconduct panel told

By JAMES TOZER, NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT Published: 15:06, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 15:08, 17 August 2026 The policeman brother of the siblings caught on camera battling officers at Manchester Airport described a black female colleague’s braided hair as ‘looking like a mop’, a misconduct hearing was told today. PC Mohammed Abid is one of seven current and two former officers facing disciplinary proceedings over allegations of using racist language. It comes after a policewoman claimed colleagues based at Bury police station regularly 'mimicked' her African accent, leaving her feeling ‘anxious’ and ‘nervous’. In July 2024, there was widespread outrage when PC Abid’s younger brother Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, then 19, was seen being kicked in the face by a police officer in mobile phone footage which went viral. However, CCTV footage later revealed that he and another brother, Muhammad Amaad, had violently resisted efforts to arrest Amaaz for headbutting of a tourist at Manchester Airport. After a case which sparked accusations of police racism and claims of two-tier justice, Amaaz was jailed for assaulting two female officers. But two juries failed to reach verdicts on whether he or Amaad had assaulted a male colleague. Lawyers for the men repeatedly highlighted how neither brother – both from Rochdale – had been in trouble with the police before, and six members of the family are current or former officers with Greater Manchester Police. Muhammad Amaad, 26, (left) and his brother Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, (right) arriving for their trial at Liverpool Crown Court either side of their solicitor, Aamer Anwar PC Mohammed Abid and other constables are alleged to have used racist language towards black colleague PC Y at Bury police station (pictured) in Greater Manchester Heavily-built Amaad, a former assistant manager at KFC, had himself twice applied unsuccessfully to join the force – including a 999 dispatch role just three months before the airport incident. Both trials heard a glowing character reference from PC Abid, who praised his brother Amaaz’s 'respectful, gentle and soft-spoken nature' and 'dedication to academic roles'. 'He's always looked up to me as a role model,' he added. But jurors were not told that PC Abid faced disciplinary proceedings over the racism allegation. After the Manchester Airport case came to an end, the solicitor who represented the brothers at their trials claimed PC Abid’s identity had been leaked as part of a 'desperate' attempt to 'smear' his clients. 'Sadly it comes as no surprise that Greater Manchester Police should now turn its attention to my clients' brother,' Aamer Anwar said. A misconduct hearing heard today how constables based at Bury police station imitated the accent of a female officer originally from Africa who has been granted anonymity and is referred to as PC Y. PC Abid is said to have spoken to PC Y – who at the time wore her hair in braids – and describing it as ‘looking like a mop’ before ‘smiling and walking away’. CCTV from the Manchester Airport trial shows Amaaz (in blue) throwing 10 punches at the officers during the violence, while his brother - Muhammad Amaad (far left), 26 - threw six Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (pictured arriving at court in 2025) was later jailed for three-and-a-half years over the violence at Manchester Airport ‘PC Y believed the way she styled her hair was common among black ladies and that PC Abid made the comment because she is a black female,’ Steve Reed, counsel for Greater Manchester Police, told the hearing. PC Abid claims her account is false, the hearing was told. He is not accused of mimicking her accent. On another occasion, out of her earshot, Sergeant Adrian Bick pointed out a photograph of a black fraud suspect and said she could be Officer Y’s mother. PC Demi Green then repeated the comment to Officer Y, the hearing was told. Officer Y believed the comment was ‘in part at least’ because of the ‘shared skin colour’ of herself and the suspect. Other constables on the team are accused of ‘mimicking’ Officer Y’s African accent, copying how she said words like ‘hello’. They included PCs Heena Rani and Lucy Granby, who were part of a close-knit team with PC Y, the hearing was told.  Giving evidence by videolink, PC Y was asked by Mr Reed how the alleged mimicking made her feel. Amaaz was convicted of causing actual bodily harm to PC Ward, who suffered a broken nose, and assaulting PC Ellie Cook Amaaz, 21 (left), and 26-year-old Muhammad Amaad pictured last year  ‘It was quite upsetting,’ she replied. ‘It made me uncomfortable, nervous, quite anxious as well. ‘I may have laughed, but I tend to laugh when I’m feeling those things. ‘As things got worse I tended to be quiet about it. ‘They would copy whatever I say and then they would laugh about it.’ The mimicking happened ‘most days’ and involved them ‘repeating the words she said, copying her... accent,’ Mr Reed said. ‘It was clear that PC Rani and PC Granby thought this was funny. [Officer Y] did not find it funny.’ After a colleague intervened, PCs Rani and Granby apologised to PC Y, the hearing was told, but the mimicking allegedly resumed. Instead, Mr Reed said, other constables on the team began doing the same thing. Fellow police officers recalled them ‘impersonating’ her ‘African accent’ and ‘deep laugh’, Mr Reed said, causing PC Y to appear ‘uncomfortable’. PC Y came forward with her accusations in November 2023. The other officers facing misconduct proceedings are PCs Matthew Barlow and Matthew Hill, as well as former PC Jake Holt and a former officer referred to only as A. All nine are accused of breaching professional standards in relation to authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity, and discreditable conduct. Apart from Sergeant Bick and PC Abid they are also all accused of breaching requirements on challenging and reporting improper behaviour. Sergeant Bick and PC Green admit the incident in which a suspect’s photograph was compared to PC Y’s mother took place. Sergeant Bick claims he was referring to the suspect’s hairstyle and glasses, not the colour of her skin. But he recognised the comment could be ‘perceived as racist’ and has apologised. He is not accused of making any 'derogatory' comments in PC Y's presence.  PC Green also maintains she took Sergeant Bick's comment as a reference to her ‘curly hair and glasses’, saying PC Y ‘laughed’ when she relayed it. On the mimicking allegations, PC Green admits copying how PC Y said ‘ok’ in a ‘high-pitched manner’ but denies it amounted to racism. PCs Rani and Granby also only accept copying how PC Y said ‘ok’ and say this was a ‘shared joke’ in the team. PCs Barlow, Hill, Holt and Officer A gave similar accounts. All nine are alleged to have subjected PC Y to ‘unwanted’, ‘offensive’ and ‘racist’ commentary, and all face being guilty of gross misconduct if the claims are found proven. The Manchester Airport incident erupted after Amaaz headbutted a holidaymaker he had accused of racially abusing his mother, whom they had met from an incoming flight from Pakistan. Amaaz, then 19, smashed PC Lydia Ward in the face, sending her sprawling to the ground, before repeatedly hitting armed colleague PC Ellie Cook. Amaad meanwhile overpowered a second armed PC, Zachary Marsden, and began raining punches down before Amaaz joined in. The brothers were finally both arrested after PC Cook fired her 50,000 volt Taser at Amaaz, who fell to the floor. Amid the confusion, PC Marsden kicked the teenager in the face and aimed a stamp close by. Footage of the kick went viral, with protesters taking to the streets and calling for the police to be 'defunded'. But there was a fierce backlash after CCTV showed the violence to which the officers had been subjected seconds earlier. Amaaz was last year convicted of causing actual bodily harm to Sergeant Ward and assaulting PC Cook, as well as the headbutted passenger. But two juries failed to reach verdicts on whether either brother had assaulted PC Marsden. To widespread outrage, prosecutors later said they could not ‘lawfully’ seek a second retrial, meaning older brother Amaad, 26, faces no further action. In May, the policewoman left bloodied and sobbing in Amaaz’s attack branded him a ‘coward’ as he was jailed for three-and-a-half years. PC Ward – now a sergeant – accused the university drop-out of showing ‘not one ounce’ of remorse for using her 'as a punch bag'. Delivering a powerful victim impact statement, the mother of one spelt out the lasting physical and mental scars of having her nose broken in the ‘utterly terrifying’ assault, telling the university drop-out: 'You changed my face.' Sergeant Ward accused him of having ‘played the victim’ when one-sided footage first emerged. And she movingly revealed she had been forced to bring her newborn child with her when she gave evidence, telling 21-year-old Amaaz a court was 'no place for a baby'. Jailing Amaaz for 42 months for the 'unprovoked' assaults, Judge Neil Flewitt accused him of showing 'a total lack of remorse'. He 'sought to blame others for what was clearly your responsibility' and 'portray yourself as a victim,' he added. PC Marsden remains under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct which could still refer him back to the Crown Prosecution Service for potential charges. Separate to today’s disciplinary proceedings, four officers also from the Bury district face misconduct proceedings after the IOPC investigated an unrelated incident of alleged racism. That inquiry is understood to have been triggered after comments were accidentally recorded on a suspect's mobile phone. It saw one officer, PC Scott Dixon, sacked, reportedly for using the word 'golliwog' towards a fellow officer. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.