More than a dozen police or prison officers have been sacked, sent to prison or are facing misconduct proceedings for inappropriate behaviour, criminal activity, or breaching professional standards.
In 2023, six officers from Lancashire were sacked, five faced misconduct proceedings (the outcomes of which have yet to be published), and three were hauled before the courts with one jailed, one facing a jail sentence, and one handed a community order.
One prison officer was also jailed for offences committed while she was employed at a Lancashire prison.
It comes as a recent study found more than nine in 10 formal allegations against Lancashire Constabulary officers resulted in no misconduct action last year.
Of the 1,752 misconduct allegations that were made against Lancashire Constabulary officers and handled under the formal complaints process in the year to April 2022, 1,638 (93 per cent) resulted in no action being required against the police officers involved.
A spokesperson for Lancashire police said the force takes any allegation of misconduct "extremely seriously" and will "remove any potential impact upon the public" following intervention.
Their statement in full reads: "Lancashire Constabulary takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously as we expect the highest professional standards of honesty, professionalism and integrity from all our staff.
"We maintain a firm stance around the professional standards of behaviour of all our staff and robustly investigate any allegations of misconduct.
"We are only too aware of the damage misconduct can cause to public confidence in the police. Specialist officers are deployed to ensure issues involving such incidents are thoroughly investigated and resolved.
"Where misconduct is identified Lancashire Constabulary has a proven track record of intervention and removing any potential impact upon the public.
"Our ultimate aim is to ensure the people of Lancashire trust their police service and understand we will focus on their needs and priorities."
Here, we have brought you a round up of all the police and prison officers who have come under scrutiny for bad, inappropriate, or reckless behaviour this year:
93% of allegations against Lancs police result in no misconduct action
More than nine in 10 formal allegations against Lancashire Constabulary officers resulted in no misconduct action last year, new figures show.
Police behaviour and misconduct processes have fallen under the spotlight once again after it emerged that serving Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick – who admitted to a string of sexual offences and rapes spanning two decades – faced no misconduct action or criminal sanctions despite coming to the attention of the force on several occasions.
Full story here: 93% of allegations against Lancs police result in no misconduct action
PC Graham Salt told colleague via Facetime that he had an erection
An experienced police officer who kissed a junior colleague before placing his hand on her knee and then later Facetiming her, telling her he had an erection, has been dismissed from the force.
A misconduct hearing held by Lancashire Police was told that on December 10 2021, during a search in a rural part of the county, PC Graham Salt kissed a female PC on the lips after making complimentary but crude remarks to her regarding how attractive she was.
A report from the misconduct hearing stated: “When he stopped the vehicle stating that he saw something in the field he said to her, ‘what would you do if I kissed you now, would your head fall off?’.
Full story here: PC Graham Salt told colleague via Facetime that he had an erection
PC Thomas Woods who worked for GMP has been sacked
A former Greater Manchester police officer from Lancashire who admitted making and possessing indecent images of children has been sacked.
Thomas Woods, of Brookdale, New Longton, Preston, was dismissed without notice by Chief Constable Stephen Watson at the misconduct hearing at Force Headquarters on February 14.
The former officer, who didn't attend the hearing, has also been placed on the College of Policing Barred List.
Full story here: PC Thomas Woods who worked for GMP has been sacked
Reggie Photo filmed the officers outside Preston station
A Lancashire police officer has been referred to the police’s professional standards department after a video was uploaded to YouTube which appears to show him calling a member of the public a “f***ing biff”.
A user by the name of Reggie Photo who uploads videos to YouTube and has 35,000 subscribers, posted a video which shows several police officers in vans and cars outside Preston train station.
The officers were there to man the build up to a football match which saw fans heading to the station, and at the start of the video, ‘Reggie’, who is holding the camera, walks up to one of the police vans and appears to gesture to an officer sitting in the passenger seat.
Full story here: Reggie Photo filmed the officers outside Preston station
Olivia Hodgson smuggled mobile phones into HMP Garth
A former prison officer has been jailed after having a relationship with an inmate.
Olivia Hodgson, of Hawthorn Road, Preston was sentenced at Burnley Crown Court on Friday July 7 for misconduct in a public office.
The 26-year-old had been working at HMP Garth in Lancashire since 2017 and started a relationship with the prisoner Lavarne Forde-Morgan in early 2020, using mobile phones she had smuggled into prison to communicate with him.
In January 2021, Forde-Morgan was transferred to another prison, where he was subjected to a cell search following intelligence received to the prison.
Full story here: Olivia Hodgson smuggled mobile phones into HMP Garth
PS Smith was found to have breached professional standards
A police officer who drove a car while over the drink drive limit has been dismissed from the force and placed on the police barring list.
On July 3, an accelerated misconduct hearing, chaired by Chief Constable Chris Rowley, was held at Lancashire Police Headquarters in respect of Police Sergeant 3140 Smith.
PS Smith was alleged to have breached professional standards by drink driving.
The misconduct hearing found he had breached the standards, and as a result his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct.
Full story here: PS Smith was found to have breached professional standards
PC Shona Harty's behaviour amounted to gross misconduct
A former police officer has been placed on the police barring list after a misconduct hearing found she breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to a domestic assault incident.
Former officer, PC Shona Harty, whose collar number was 1240, faced a panel, chaired by Chief Constable Chris Rowley, in a hearing on June 29 at Ormskirk police station.
PC Harty was alleged to have been involved in a domestic assault while off duty in which she admitted to aggressive behaviour, something which breached the professional standards associated with being a police officer, and according to the force, amounted to "gross misconduct".
Full story here: PC Shona Harty's behaviour amounted to gross misconduct
Police car hit boy when he was crossing a road in Lancaster
A police driver is under criminal investigation after an 11-year-old boy was seriously injured in a crash.
The Lancashire Constabulary officer was responding to an emergency call at about 8.30pm on May 25 when the police car hit the boy, who was crossing Owen Road in Lancaster.
A spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the child was taken to hospital with serious injuries and had made steady improvements since.
The IOPC attended the scene and obtained CCTV and bodyworn footage, as well as witness statements, the spokesman said.
Full story here: Police car hit boy when he was crossing a road in Lancaster
Former police officer from Darwen jailed for sexual assault
A “dangerous” former police officer with a history of predatory behaviour attacked and sexually assaulted a teenage girl near a park in Darwen, in what a judge said was “the stuff of nightmares”.
James White, who used to work for Greater Manchester Police, was caught on CCTV following the 16-year-old girl in his car before attacking her in Bolton Road in the early hours of Sunday June 25.
Preston Crown Court was told White had previous convictions for harassment and stalking, some of which had involved former police colleagues.
Full story here: Former police officer from Darwen jailed for sexual assault
Lancashire police officer sacked for gross misconduct
A police officer who shared information about a suspect with family members has been sacked by Lancashire Constabulary.
John-Paul Critchley appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Monday, May 15 after pleading guilty to disclosing personal data.
Critchley, formerly a paramedic with North West Ambulance Service, joined Lancashire Police in 2019 and spent time working in Preston and Chorley.
The court was told that in August 2020, Critchley had been called to an incident in which he had to detain a member of the public.
Full story here: Lancashire police officer sacked for gross misconduct
Ex Blackburn police inspector downloaded 10 indecent images
A former Lancashire Police inspector from Blackburn downloaded 10 indecent images of children aged between eight and 15 in a two-month period.
Steven Sansbury, who retired from Lancashire Police in 2022, downloaded the images between January 26 and February 10, 2009, and kept them on two devices at his home.
Sansbury, 55, of Meadowfields, Blackburn, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court today having pleaded guilty to the offences there on October 9.
He previously worked as an inspector in Accrington before taking up a post at police headquarters in Preston in 2000.
Full story here: Ex Blackburn police inspector downloaded 10 indecent images
Lancashire police officer to face misconduct hearing
A Lancashire police officer accused of domestic assault faced a misconduct hearing and could be dismissed from the force as a result.
PC Harling, whose collar number is 2525, appeared before the hearing, which was chaired by chief constable Chris Rowley, on October 19.
The hearing debated whether PC Harling's alleged actions amount to gross misconduct.
Full story here: Lancashire police officer to face misconduct hearing
Lancashire police officer sacked over sexual misconduct
A Lancashire police officer who was cleared of sexually molesting five female colleagues more than two years ago has been sacked by the force following a misconduct hearing.
PC Anthony Ford, who was based in Burnley, faced trial at Liverpool Crown Court in May 2021, over 13 offences of sexual assault which were alleged to have taken place in 2018 and 2019.
He strongly denied the offences and claimed his behaviour only involved jokey and flirtatious banter.
Following the trial, the jury found PC Ford, of Preston, not guilty of all 13 offences but a senior judge told him that he needed to address his "appalling prehistoric attitudes" towards women.
Full story here: Lancashire police officer sacked over sexual misconduct
James Riley admitted the attempted murder of a woman
A former Lancashire police officer has admitted the attempted murder of a woman.
On Tuesday November 7, James Riley, 28, from Preston, pleaded guilty to trying to kill Ellie Moxham at a hostel in Manchester on November 10, 2022.
Riley, who was an officer with Lancashire Constabulary, had previously denied the offence and faced trial at Manchester Crown Court next week but changed his plea at a pre-trial review hearing.
He was further remanded in custody by Judge Patrick Field KC after he entered his plea via videolink from HMP Forest Bank in Salford.
Full story here: James Riley admitted the attempted murder of a woman
Misconduct hearing for PCs accused of using excessive force
Two former police officers are facing a misconduct hearing after being accused of using excessive force while attending an incident, and failing to disclose body worn video footage during criminal proceedings.
Full story here: Misconduct hearing for PCs accused of using excessive force
One of the officers is also accused of using behaviour and language towards a member of the public which was or could be perceived to be abusive, oppressive and offensive.
The other officer is accused of entering false information regarding a charging decision on an internal document with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
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