A POLICE officer who lied about meeting a girlfriend in a ‘coffee shop’ to his bosses will never be able to work in the police again.

The officer, who’s identity has been kept anonymous, was under investigation from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IPOC), which said that they had actually met when he had investigated her relative.

Hordes of texts and calls were found between the couple who developed a relationship over six months in September 2019, by talking on his work mobile phone.

It was only when the police carried out a routine audit of work phones their romance was revealed in March 2020.

The officer had lied to his boss about where he had met his lover and didn’t mention a change of his relationship status to the Thames Valley Police vetting department.

When it was referred to the IPOC by TVP, investigators searched through the phone records and computer systems and the officer gave evidence under caution.

Witness statements from police officers as well as another statement from the person the officer was dating were also considered.

IPOC regional director Graham Beesley said: “The public expect and deserve to have trust and confidence in their police.

“When a police officer is deliberately dishonest it corrodes that trust and is a betrayal of the values for which the police service stands.

“The officer lied claiming he met the woman in a coffee shop but our investigation established the relationship came about after the officer investigated a member of their family.

“Such behaviour amounts to serious corruption and those who abuse their position have no place in the service.

“The independent panel has reinforced the message that this sort of behaviour by police officers is never acceptable by dismissing the officer without notice.”

The officer will be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.

The Barred List replaced the Disapproved Register, previously used to capture the names of dismissed officers, and those that resigned or retired while subject to gross misconduct where it was considered that there may have been a case to answer.

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