Jailed ex-special constable would have been sacked

Former special constable Steven Hayden-Tift was chatting to an undercover officer posing as a 14-year old

A former special constable jailed for a sexualised online chat with who he thought was a child would have been fired had he not already quit, a police force said.

Steven Hayden-Tift, previously of Northamptonshire Police, unknowingly chatted to an undercover officer posing as a 14-year old on social media and a dating app.

He had sent sexual pictures of himself and asked for similar photos back, police said.

A gross misconduct disciplinary hearing ruled he would have been dismissed without notice had he not already resigned from the force.

In May, Hayden-Tift was sentenced to two years and six months, half of which he will serve in prison.

He was found guilty by a jury at Northampton Crown Court of attempting sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was also given a five-year sexual harm prevention order and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.

Chief constable Nick Adderley said Hayden-Tift had shown "no regard to his partner, family or fellow officers" when he committed the "depraved and despicable act".

Mr Adderley added: "My only regret is that the sentence wasn't longer."