Pc who abused position can keep name hidden

A POLICE officer who was sacked for attempting to form an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable woman driver was allowed to remain anonymous at a misconduct hearing and will retain his anonymity.

The Nottinghamshire Police officer was dismissed for gross misconduct as a result of the incident, which took place when he was off duty in February last year.

He has not been named by the force despite using his position to try to embark on a sexual relationship with the woman, so other women targeted by him will not be prompted to come forward.

The case raises questions about transparency in police disciplinary hearings, which are governed by Home Office rules. The decision to grant anonymity in disciplinary hearings rests with the presiding panel’s chairman, in this case Chief Constable Craig Guildford.

The disciplinary hearing was told that the officer stopped the woman’s car and claimed he was concerned about her driving. Identifying himself as a police officer, he took her details before allowing her to go on her way, but later sent her messages of a personal and sexual nature via Whatsapp and Snapchat.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) recommended that he faced charges of gross misconduct and a hearing on Oct 1 found the allegation proven. He was dismissed from the force without notice.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The police must raise the bar and… they must ensure their actions are beyond reproach.

“This includes being transparent when officers have fallen below the standards the public expect of them. The policing minister will write to all forces reminding them of their responsibilities.”

Derrick Campbell, IOPC regional director, said: “The abuse of police powers for purposes of sexual exploitation has a devastating impact on victims and a serious impact on the public’s confidence in individual officers and the service in general.”

‘Other women he targeted will not be prompted to make a complaint’