Nottingham MP appalled by former police officer who referred to his 'rape van'

Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, said the decision to keep him anonymous 'denies the opportunity for further public accountability'

A Nottingham MP has condemned the decision for a former Nottinghamshire Police officer to have his identity kept private following a misconduct hearing which revealed misogynistic behaviour. Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, said the decision "denies the opportunity for further public accountability".

This comes as the officer was found guilty of gross misconduct following a hearing held at the police headquarters in Sherwood Lodge Drive, Arnold, on Wednesday, September 25. A panel decided he would have been dismissed had he still been with the force, meaning he is barred from policing for life.

Ms Whittome said: "I was appalled to hear about this officer’s misogynistic actions. Police officers who are undergoing misconduct proceedings should not be able to resign, rather than being dismissed.

"On top of this, withholding this officer’s name denies the opportunity for further public accountability. This lack of transparency is especially concerning in the context of wider police failings on misogyny and sexual harassment."

The hearing concerned a former officer who referred to his vehicle as the "rape van" while on duty with two female colleagues in December 2022. Four months earlier he made comments referring to one colleague's breasts and bottom while she was looking at cakes a colleague had brought into the office.

The officer also bombarded a female colleague with messages when she moved to his police station after a breakdown in her relationship and, despite refusing to engage with him on several occasions, he continued to harass her. While in the presence of another officer, he told his colleague "no one would f*** her" about the female officer he had been trying to have a relationship with.

The same officer also said: "I like my missus clean-shaven because I don’t like pubes in my mouth." The officer, who was absent from the proceedings, believed his comments were "flippant and humorous", the hearing was told.

Simon Riley, of the Police Federation, said the officer’s mental health had "suffered significantly" since the matters were raised, which constructed the basis of his anonymity. Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Gary Godden, added that the former officer's behaviour fell short of the force's standards.

He said: "The behaviour of this former officer is unacceptable and goes against everything Nottinghamshire Police stands for. One of my key priorities during my time in office is to prevent violence against women and girls, so the public need to be in no doubt that police officers uphold the highest standards and can be relied upon to keep the public safe.

"There is no place for toxic and harmful behaviour like this within the force and I am delighted that this issue was reported, acted upon and that the independent panel ruled he would have been dismissed, if he hadn’t already resigned. I understand the public desire for this individual to be named.

"However, the decision to preserve his anonymity was made by an independent panel, led by a legally qualified chair, on the grounds of mental health concerns."

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said: "The decision not to name the officer came from the independent legally qualified chair. These chairs are completely independent to Nottinghamshire Police.

"The decision not to name him came from the independent legally qualified chair following representation from the PC’s legal team. It is very rare that an officer in Nottinghamshire is subject to anonymity in a misconduct hearing.

"However, this decision was not made by Nottinghamshire Police but the independent legally qualified chair who chaired the misconduct hearing. As part of our regulations we have no powers to stop any officer resigning, but we still go through the misconduct proceedings so the sanction that would have been delivered is recorded and the barred list updated."