One resignation and a final warning over sex at work
A POLICE officer has resigned and another given a final warning after their bosses found out they had sex on police premises and exchanged flirtatious texts while on duty.
The relationship between the male detective constable and his female colleague came to light a year ago, according to Leicestershire Police.
The male officer chose to leave the force before his misconduct hearing took place at force headquarters in Enderby last week.
The hearing, held in private, concluded he had committed gross misconduct and would have been dismissed on the spot if he had still been a serving officer.
The female officer held on to her job and was issued with a final written warning instead of her case going to a similar hearing, a force spokesman confirmed.
The chairman of the panel decided the officers should not be named publicly.
The pair committed their offences in February 2021, according to details of the case released by the force.
In a statement, the force said the misconduct panel heard the officers had “intimate and/or sexual relations” while on “work premises” and “inappropriately engaged in sexual text conversation” at various times while one or both were on duty”.
It added: “Following a gross misconduct hearing last week, the panel found the allegations proven and that gross misconduct had been committed.”
Detective Superintendent Rich Ward is head of the force’s professional standards department.
He said: “The force and the public rightly expect all of our officers to maintain the highest standards of professional behaviour.
“In this case, there was a serious breach of the standards which are expected.
“Following an investigation and the allegations being proven, the appropriate action was taken.”