Metropolitan Police officers were rapped after an investigation into photos and comments posted on the Facebook site 'Look I've Had a Pocol' - slang for police collision.

The social networking site had more than 200 members around the world before it was taken down in January.

One photograph showed a police vehicle in an accident with a small white car.

The officer who posted it wrote: "I did him a favour. At 82 years old you just shouldn't be on the road and if you are, then most certainly don't go through a green light into the path of an innocent police car."

Another member wrote: "Ran over a drunk. I believe he has a permanent limp and a hefty payout. I was given a three-month holiday from job driving. Ooh, bummer."

One picture showed a uniformed officer giving a thumbs-up next to a vehicle, which seemed to have hit a fallen tree.

Another picture featured the wreckage of a patrol car after it had mounted the kerb and hit a lamppost.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan police said the offending officers were given written warnings for misconduct.

"Fourteen officers received written warnings and four were given a speaking to. The warnings will remain on their records. Another five had unofficial words in their ear," he said.

The disciplinary action follows a driving ban in January for a policeman who made 'thumbs-up' gestures to speed cameras while racing to emergencies.

David Mayes, 34, from Barnsley, was also fined £400.

Also in February, the Independent Police Complaints Commission concluded an probe into officers from South Wales who competed to see how far they could travel from the station while on duty.

The Gwent officers, nicknamed the "Seaside Five", took their patrol cars as far as the beach on Barry Island.

Two were told to resign from the force, another two were fined 13 days pay and a fifth resigned before the conduct hearing.

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