Police officer who stole bank card from gym sacked
PC Lancaster "betrayed the trust" of her friend who had allowed her access to the gym's staff room, the hearing was told
- Published
A police constable who twice stole a personal trainer's bank card and used it to try to buy vaping products has been sacked.
Amelia Lancaster took the card from a wallet left in a gym staff room in Bingley, and also stole cash from the same man, a misconduct hearing heard.
Lancaster, who did not attend, was said to be “truly remorseful” for her actions, having previously accepted a criminal caution for theft and fraud by false representation.
The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police described the former-officer's conduct as “unacceptable”.
The hearing, which was held at police headquarters on Laburnum Road in Wakefield, was told how Lancaster had befriended the gym’s owner over a period of time and was “unusually” allowed access to the staff room when she attended for classes.
On 7 September 2023 the victim received an alert from his bank that his card was being used for a series of attempted £5 purchases from a nearby vaping shop.
The misconduct hearing was held at West Yorkshire Police's headquarters in Wakefield
Knowing he was not responsible for the purchases and having separately realised some cash had gone missing from his wallet during recent days, he reported his concerns to the gym owner.
It was said the pair had then gone to the shop in person, where CCTV stills identified Lancaster using the bank card.
It transpired that she had also taken his card on a previous occasion, seven days before, with the victim having lost £25 in total across the three thefts.
Lancaster was arrested on 19 October and admitted the offences, the proceedings were told.
Presenting the case against the officer, Mike Percival for the police authority, said Lancaster had accepted she had "very much betrayed" the trust of her friend, who had allowed her access to the staff room.
'Embarrassed'
The hearing was told Lancaster, whose length of service within the force was described as “extremely short”, did not dispute any facts in the case.
Her federation representative, Mark Claxton, said the officer had asked him to say she was "truly remorseful and to simply apologise to everyone involved for her actions and behaviour".
Chief Constable John Robins, who chaired the hearing, ruled Lancaster was guilty of gross misconduct and that she would be dismissed without notice.
He said: "She’s embarrassed by her actions and still to this day has no answers as to why she decided to behave in such a way.
"It’s quite clear in my mind as chief constable that conduct of this nature is not conducive to being a police officer."
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