Officer drove at speed without training

A panel found PC Jordan Edwards had committed gross misconduct

A former police officer who admitted he "could have killed someone" after driving at speed despite not having the relevant training has been banned from the profession.

Jordan Edwards had completed basic driver training, which allowed him to drive police vehicles "but only in the manner of an ordinary road user".

However, when he travelled to Chesterfield Royal Hospital from the scene of an incident, he drove in excess of the speed limit and went around vehicles at a traffic light.

A misconduct document published by Derbyshire Police states he "conceded that his driving was careless and thoughtless and created a real risk of serious injury".

PC Edwards joined the force on 31 December 2022 and completed basic driver training, an online course, in July 2023.

He had been called to an incident in Chesterfield at about 19:50 GMT on 11 January 2024, when someone was reported to have sustained a serious head injury.

Overtaking at speed

He was expected to be the first officer at the scene but he activated his vehicle's emergency lights and pulled over a vehicle.

Despite performing the stop appropriately, thinking the driver "might be drink-driving", he was not "instructed or permitted to do so".

When he did arrive at the scene of the incident, the injured man had already been taken to hospital.

Another officer - trained in emergency response - said they should also make their way there and they drove for about four miles into Chesterfield town centre.

He closely followed his colleague in a "multi-vehicle response driving format" - a technique requiring training he had not had.

PC Edwards reached speeds of 51mph in a 40mph area and 43mph in a 30mph area, overtaking vehicles at speed and driving on the wrong side of keep left bollards.

A member of the public complained about PC Edwards's driving at a McDonald's restaurant

"The danger to the public was increased as the first vehicle was using their emergency lights and the officer was not," the report adds.

The officer accepted his driving was "risky" and "deliberately did not activate his emergency lights as he was fully aware that he was not trained to use them".

A prosecution was considered, the report states, but the notice of intended prosecution limits had expired.

On another occasion, at about 22:15 on 30 January 2024, he took a "shortcut" to visit a McDonald's drive-through at Alma Leisure Park on Derby Road while driving a marked police vehicle.

He "contravened a row of keep left bollards" and travelled against the flow of traffic to reach the car park.

Other vehicles had to stop to avoid him and a member of public complained about his actions.

PC Edwards, a probationary officer, admitted his conduct and showed "genuine remorse and insight" for his actions, the report states.

However, a misconduct panel found he had committed gross misconduct overall and would have been dismissed from the force if he was still a serving officer.