Police team leader guilty of sexism in workplace Sergeant made string of comments in front of staff

APOLICE sergeant who led a ‘vulnerable adults’ team has been found guilty of misconduct after he told colleagues a job hunter would only be successful if she had big t***.

West Midlands Police sergeant Andy Sheldon made a number of sexist comments in front of colleagues about the looks, breast size and cleavage of prospective staff who were being interviewed for civilian posts within the unit in July 2015.

In another remark he said females being interviewed for the jobs would not be successful if they were ‘ugly munters’. The West-Bromwich-based officer was found guilty of misconduct this week after a two-day hearing at the force’s Lloyd House HQ.

Panel Chairman Harry Ireland said it had been proven that the officer had made unacceptable sexist remarks amounting to misconduct and ruled that he should receive management advice.

It had been claimed that colleagues had heard him making various remarks about the size of the women’s breasts and the length of their skirts.

Detective Constable Claire Winchurch, an officer on his vulnerable adult unit, said she had witnessed the officer making the comments but had not been personally offended by them. She said: “I remember him asking ‘is she an ugly munter? yes, she hasn’t got the job’ and ‘does she have big t***? yes, she will get the job. There was also a comment about the need for them to show some cleavage. An inspector was also laughing and agreeing with him.

“The office was quite full at the time. There was probably about eight people in there.

“It was banter between them. I did not think it was appropriate, but I did not get offended personally. He is very old school, but he is also a lovely man. I did 10 years in the Army so it did not offend me. Nobody else came up and said that offended me either.”

The officer had also faced allegations that he had aimed racist remarks towards a colleague, but the case against him was not proven.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “West Midlands Police demands the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and conduct from all police staff and police officers at all times.

“We take any allegations of racism and sexism within our organisation very seriously.”