Britain's elite crime-fighting force faced accusations of racism today after it used a "blacked-up" white actor to play an African official as part of a recruitment process.

It occurred during a roleplay for applicants wanting to work overseas with the Serious Organised Crime Agency. The organisation, Britain's answer to the FBI, is investigating.

The race row involving Soca - which says on its website that it "fully embraces the principles of diversity" - is the latest in a series threatening to engulf police and law enforcement agencies.

Metropolitan police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair is facing claims of racism from two high-ranking Asian officers, Tarique Ghaffur and Shabir Hussain. The Muslim Association of Britain has accused 20 forces of refusing to take part in a discrimination audit.

In the Soca incident the man is said to have dressed in traditional African clothes and wore black make-up to play a representative from a difficult regime.

It shocked several of those taking part and led to one official complaint.

Soca director general Bill Hughes was said to be have been furious when informed. He ordered an inquiry which is being carried out by Andy Barker, a Soca deputy director and former head of murder inquiries at Scotland Yard.

A spokesman for the agency refused to discuss details of the allegations. He said: "There has been a complaint about part of a recruitment process and there is an investigation ongoing. It is important for the organisation to ascertain what has happened."

A Soca source said: "The most infuriating thing about this is that there are a lot of people in the organisation who cannot see where they are going wrong. This department is responsible for international relations yet they go and do something as crass and low as this."

Jeremy Gautrey of the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents Soca staff, said he had been briefed on the incident.

"If the accusation is true then it is extremely concerning," he said. "What this identifies is a clear need for equality and diversity training to make sure this never takes place again.

"Soca has, however, acted quickly to launch an inquiry and is taking the issue seriously at the highest levels."

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