Officer banned from police work after Asda theft

Ms Hynes was caught stealing from the Carlisle store in November 2022

An officer who stole from Asda has been banned from working in policing after she was found guilty of gross misconduct.

While off duty in November 2022, Lucy Hynes, of Cumbria Police, filled her trolley with goods amounting to £237.89 before exiting the Carlisle store and being stopped by a security guard.

Ms Hynes told the guard she "hadn't paid" for the items before claiming the security tags on three pieces of clothing in her possession had "fallen off".

Cumbria Police said she had been added to a "barred list" and would not work in policing again.

Chief Constable Rob Carden said the hearing had demonstrated Ms Hynes' conduct "fell far below the standards" expected from police officers.

On 31 July, a misconduct panel concluded the PC's account was "manifestly inconsistent" with evidence provided by store staff and if she had not already resigned earlier that day, she would have been dismissed with immediate effect.

During a police interview, Ms Hynes admitted she removed the security tags from a dressing gown and jumper so she did not forget to remove them when wrapping for Christmas.

She maintained the tags on the women's trousers must have fallen off while she was trying them on.

Meanwhile, the PC claimed the tins of soup in her trolley were for the local foodbank.

Not 'credible'

The officer, who joined Cumbria Constabulary in 2015, said prevailing medical conditions caused her to be confused, distracted and have momentary lapses of memory, and denied her actions amounted to gross misconduct.

However, with the help of a psychiatric expert, the panel found Ms Hynes' beliefs that medical conditions were responsible for her actions were "neither credible nor genuinely held".

The panel also noted she had not shown any remorse.

Ms Hynes did not attend the final day of the hearing after informing police officers she intended to resign from the constabulary with effect from 1 August.

The misconduct hearing found her guilty and concluded she would have been dismissed with immediate effect, had she not resigned.

Chief Constable Carden said: "The actions of the former officer breached multiple elements of the Standards of Professional Behaviour, which all officers are expected to adhere to and uphold.

"This individual has been held accountable for their actions and they be entered onto the national ‘Barred List’, meaning they will not work in policing again."