‘exercisinG riGht to hear Matters in private’

Kent Police have banned the public and members of the press from attending the disciplinary hearing of a constable accused of gross misconduct.

PC Wright will appear on Monday, May 2, at the police HQ in Maidstone. He is accused of, while off duty, breaching the force’s standards of professional behaviour, though the exact nature of the allegations have been withheld.

If guilty he could face a tough range of sanctions including dismissal.

A Kent Police spokesman said: “While there is a general presumption misconduct hearings are held in public, after careful consideration, the Legally Qualified Chair of the hearing has exercised their right of discretion to hear the matter in private in order to protect the identity and welfare of parties directly and indirectly involved in this case.”

In 2015, the government enacted new reforms to the disciplinary process which required all hearings to be held in public unless there was an exceptional reason not to. Previous hearings held in private include an unnamed constable who in January was dismissed after being found guilty of “inappropriately, breaching professional standards relating to authority, respect and courtesy and discreditable conduct”.

Last month another officer was sacked after watching porn more than 2,000 times on his work computer. The meeting was held in public but his identity was protected.