Officer fired over sexual comments to junior staff

Former Greater Manchester Police Sgt Terry Mayers repeatedly made sexual comments to junior female officers

A former police sergeant has been sacked by his force for repeatedly making "degrading" and "offensive" sexual comments to junior female colleagues.

Senior officers at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) ruled the "predatory behaviour" of Sgt Terry Mayers had amounted to gross misconduct.

A disciplinary hearing was told some of his comments, made in person and in phone messages, "indicated a desire to make sexual contact" with the three women.

Mr Mayers, described as having an "exemplary record over 20 years" with GMP, was found to have abused his position of authority and trust.

'Repeated comments'

The tribunal heard that in August 2022, Mr Mayers sent an Instagram message to one of his female colleagues.

Using an expletive to say that if she wanted somebody to have sex with her, he would "drive up".

In a WhatsApp exchange with the same officer a year later, he suggested the two of them could have sex while on duty.

"Quiet room on nights, undercrackers to the side", he wrote to her.

At Christmas 2022, Mr Mayers gestured towards another junior colleague's bottom and said: "What would it take for me to just hold it?"

The hearing was told the former sergeant made repeated comments to the same officer, describing her bottom as "the work of the Gods" and "fine work".

In another incident, while in a patrol car, he is said to have asked a female colleague: "What would you do if I kissed you now?"

Mr Mayers was also said to have persistently asked to see any "naughty or revealing" photos of an officer on her phone.

'Gross misconduct'

The disciplinary panel said Mr Mayers' conduct had the effect of "violating the dignity of colleagues or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for colleagues".

The hearing was told Mr Mayers had spent more than two decades working for GMP and was one of the first officers on the scene when PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone were ambushed and murdered by Dale Cregan in Tameside in September 2012.

Mr Mayers admitted making inappropriate comments to his female colleagues, but denied they amounted to gross misconduct.

However, the panel said the messages were "deliberate and targeted steps" in order to establish "an inappropriate sexual relationship and for sexual gratification".

Mr Mayers was found to have seriously breached standards of professional behaviour and was dismissed from GMP without notice.