Police officer dismissed for driving while drunk

PC Keith Piper was charged after a woman called police about his behaviour

A police officer has been sacked after driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Gloucestershire Police said it received a phone call from a woman in July 2023, saying PC Keith Piper had driven to her home while intoxicated and was "unable to walk steady".

When officers went to Piper's address, he was found to have 52mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, when the prescribed limit is 35mg.

At a hearing earlier this month, Rod Hansen, chief constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary, found Piper's conduct amounted to gross misconduct.

The hearing was told that at 03:27 BST on Saturday 15 July 2023, the woman told police that Piper had arrived at her Gloucester home at 02:30 BST, and stayed for about an hour.

She claimed he was intoxicated to the point "he couldn't string a sentence together".

Two officers went to Piper's address at 03:54 the same day and asked if he had been out, to which he replied: "in Gloucester, but I came back about 1.30-2ish."

Piper said he had "not been in my car tonight", and "feigned confusion" as to why they had come in response to a report of drink driving.

Doorbell camera footage from a neighbouring property showed Piper's car was present on his drive at 01:03 BST, gone at 02:03 BST and back at 04:03 BST.

After a breath test, Piper was arrested and taken to Compass House Police Station in Quedgeley, where he was tested again.

He was interviewed under caution at 18:20 BST, and answered "no comment" to all questions before being charged with driving while drunk.

After a defence statement filed in October initially said he would be pleading not guilty, he pleaded guilty at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on 1 December 2023.

'Made a choice'

The misconduct hearing found the former PC breached the force's professional standards of honesty and integrity, and discreditable conduct.

Chief Con. Hansen said: "The commission of drink driving is always a choice, whether or not that choice is inhibited by the effects of alcohol.

"PC Piper made a choice to commit a criminal offence.

"The public have a right to expect that the police service will not tolerate its officers knowingly committing criminal offences, and that where such conduct is identified that individual will no longer serve as a police officer."