Statement following misconduct hearing outcome

Statement from Deputy Chief Constable Nikki Watson following the outcome in the misconduct hearing of former PS Lee Cocking:

“The two-week misconduct hearing has been overseen by a Legally Qualified Chair (LQC), who is independent of the Constabulary. We fully respect the LQC’s authority but are disappointed that having carefully weighed up all the evidence they have ruled the allegations around dishonesty and discreditable conduct were not proven.

“Police officers and staff are expected to maintain the highest level of professional standards at all times. We have consistently believed the actions of the former officer on 24 December 2017 fell short of those standards and were not what the public would expect from their police service.

“We have invested a significant amount of time and resources into both a criminal and misconduct investigation since 2017. The officer involved is no longer employed by Avon and Somerset Police.

The full outcome is now available on the misconduct section of our website