Police have apologised to a philosophy lecturer for language used by officers about her when she was strip-searched in an incident branded “appalling” by London’s Mayor.

       Konstancja Duff was detained at a police station in the capital in 2013, having been arrested after trying to offer a 15-year-old a card with a list of legal advice during a stop-and-search on an east London estate.

       In footage carried by the Guardian, police officers can be heard to say of Dr Duff, who is based at the University of Nottingham “was she rank?” and “her clothes stink”.

       Philosophy lecturer Konstancja Duff was arrested for trying to offer a 15-year-old a card with a list of legal advice during a stop-and-search on an east London estate in 2013 (Tess de la Mare/PA)

       (PA Archive)

       In another clip, one officer references a “smell” and then a different officer says “Oh, it’s her knickers”.

       Recommended Kim Kardashian honoured to be muse for designer Thierry Mugler Sixth teenager arrested after 16-year-old fatally stabbed in Manchester New Transport Minister as Scottish Government makes changes

       Dr Duff, who said she had gone “limp as a form of passive resistance” when arrested, said the officers had spoken about her in a “really dehumanising way”.

       She told the Guardian: “It didn’t surprise me at all really. It was absolutely obvious in the way that they treated me that that was the attitudes that they had.

       “When you don’t consent to what the police are doing to you – even when it’s just palpably unjust – that is used to justify an escalation of force against you.”

       She described being pinned to a cell floor by three officers with her hands cuffed and legs tied together.

       The kind of overwhelming memory of that, as as well as being really scared, was just the kind of physical pain of it

       Konstancja Duff

       Dr Duff, who was a self-employed philosophy tutor at the time of the incident, said the officers “cut off my clothes with scissors”.

       She added: “The kind of overwhelming memory of that, as well as being really scared, was just the kind of physical pain of it.”

       She said most people at the receiving end of such treatment “never get heard”.

       She added: “So, even though talking about it is challenging, I feel lucky to be able to do that. They (the police) are being challenged on their racism, on their misogyny. So I hope that what I’m describing can be heard as part of that.”

       London Mayor Sadiq Khan said what had happened was “utterly disgraceful”.

       He tweeted: “I strongly condemn the derogatory and sexist actions towards Dr Duff. The Met are right to have apologised for this appalling incident. Women in our city must be able to trust the police.”

       The Metropolitan Police said it had “sincerely apologised”, when asked about the incident involving Dr Duff, and that an investigation into allegations of misconduct is ongoing.

       In a statement, the force said: “In November 2021, the Met settled a claim following the arrest of a woman in Hackney in May 2013. We have sincerely apologised to the complainant for the language used while she was in custody and any distress caused.

       Recommended Russian military exercises off Irish coast a ‘non-story’, says ambassador Covid testing for fully vaccinated arriving in Scotland to be scrapped ‘After the famine comes the feast’ – Pubs and clubs react to Covid rules easing

       “Following the conclusion of the civil claim, allegations of misconduct relating to these comments were referred to our Directorate of Professional Standards and are currently being investigated.

       “This investigation remains ongoing.”