Five officers sacked without notice for gross misconduct

Merseyside Police has dismissed five officers, without notice, from the force after having been found guilty of gross misconduct.

All five constables worked within the Matrix team and were found guilty of gross misconduct after images of them behaving inappropriately during a search came to light during a proactive professional standards investigation earlier in the year.

Deputy Chief Constable Bernard Lawson said: “We expect the highest standards from our officers and these officers fell far short of that expectation. Our residents and communities have the right to expect our officers to act professionally and with integrity at all times so that they can have confidence in the work that we do.

“The behaviour of these officers came to light after a proactive investigation was carried out by our Professional Standards Department. After considering all the evidence, a misconduct hearing, chaired by a chief officer, found the officers guilty of gross misconduct and they were dismissed from the force.”

An investigation is still underway into allegations of three police officers who are said to have put items seized during a raid for sale on eBay.

It is believed that two of the dismissed PCs and another officer, who was dismissed previously, remain on police bail in connection with that investigation.

Merseyside has seen a 26 per cent drop in gun crime in the last three years, largely thanks to the force’s Matrix team.

“The overwhelming majority of Matrix officers are a credit to our force and we are very proud to have them work for us. I am disappointed that the actions of this small minority of officers has had a disproportionate impact on public confidence and our community relations.

“I hope, by taking the action we have today (August 3), that our communities can be confident in our commitment to high standards of conduct and our continuing determination to fight crime in Merseyside,” added Mr Lawson.