Gwent Police are being investigated by another force over claims of misogyny, racism and homophobia.

The Sunday Times reported that a phone owned by a former Gwent Police officer was found to contain offensive message exchanges between him and former colleagues.

The newspaper said racist images, pornographic videos and sensitive information about misconduct and corruption investigations were among the material exchanged.

In a WhatsApp group, officers called each other “poofs” and “PC closet”, while another group member used the word “slopes” to describe Asian people, according to the Sunday Times.

The newspaper reported that Gwent Chief Constable Pam Kelly said Wiltshire Police officers were conducting an independent investigation on behalf of the Gwent force.

A spokeswoman for Wiltshire Police said: “We can confirm this investigation is ongoing and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”