THE METROPOLITAN Police will have to reinstate former senior police officer Robyn Williams if she is successful in having her conviction overturned, former police chief Leroy Logan has said.

Williams, the former Met superintendent, who was convicted of possessing footage of child abuse, has been granted a court of appeal hearing in her bid to overturn her conviction, The Guardian has reported.

Williams, one of the most senior black female officers in policing, whose record has been described as exemplary, was sacked from the Met after she was found guilty of possessing video footage of child abuse. Her conviction was the result of an unsolicited video sent to her on WhatsApp. 

Although a court found that Williams did not view the footage and there was no sexual aspect to her offence, she was ordered to register as a sex offender and to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work.

As a result of being granted the court of appeal hearing, judges will consider if Williams’ should be permitted to launch a full appeal against her conviction. 

After she was found guilty, a fast-track misconduct hearing by the Met ruled Williams’ conviction to be gross misconduct and she was fired after 36 years in the police.

Williams has also been granted an appeal hearing against her dismissal, The Guardian reported.

Former Met superintendent and chair of the Black Police Association Logan has criticised the decision to dismiss Williams before she had exhausted all her appeal avenues.

He told The Voice: “Why rush this thing through and you haven’t given the chance for the appeal to be heard?”

Asked what he would like to see the Met do if Williams is successful in overturning her conviction, Logan said: “If she’s found not guilty, then they have to reinstate her, simple.” 

He added: “I know Robyn loves the job and she will apply to be reinstated.

“She is 100 per cent about clearing her name and trying to reestablish her career.”

Speaking to The Voice following the Met’s decision to fire Williams in March, Logan described it as a total tragedy.

He said: “It’s a total tragedy. I truly believe it will make such a massive impact on community trust and confidence to know that such a high profile officer has been subject to a real lack of objectivity in a case which really could happen to anyone.”