Met officer under investigation after appearing on Big Brother despite being denied permission by the force

A Metropolitan police officer is facing an investigation after appearing on Big Brother in Nigeria without permission.

Pc Khafi Kareem, who works in Lambeth, asked the Met if she could take part in the show and was told she could not.

She entered the Big Brother house anyway, and has begun a relationship with a fellow contestant, Ekpata Gedoni.

The programme follows the same format as the British version of the show, in which contestants live in an isolated house with cameras watching them.

The Metropolitan Police said it does not support Pc Kareem's appearance on the show and she does not represent the force while she is taking part.

Pc Kareem was pictured in November alongside Cressida Dick, Metropolitan Police commissioner, to celebrate 100 years of women in the force.

She will now face an investigation by the Directorate of Professional Standards, which is charged with ensuring that officers do not bring the police into disrepute.

"All police officers have a duty to behave with professionalism and in a manner that does not bring the Met into disrepute whether on or off duty," a spokesman said.

"Those who do not behave professionally risk breaching police standards of professional behaviour, and may be dealt with by way of misconduct proceedings."

The spokesman added that Pc Kareem is within a period of unpaid time off work which was granted for an unrelated reason before she asked to go into the Big Brother house.

Videos by Nigerian media appear to show Pc Kareem having sex on the programme, The Sun reported.

A spokesman for Pc Kareem said The Sun's report "deliberately and conveniently" omitted her side of the story to "sell a pre-conceived narrative".

He accused reports of playing to a "repressive culture of shaming and characterizing women for their sexual decisions and life choices".

When invited to offer a response to the story, the spokesman said Pc Kareem could not respond because she is not allowed to use her phone inside the Big Brother house.

"Khafi is a proud black female police officer who prides herself in her work and has dedicated her youthful years protecting and serving with her many skills, which include the ability to speak at least five international languages," he added.