WhatsApp porn: Watford police officer sacked over 'extreme' images

PC Matthew Glaysher said the images sent to him on WhatsApp had automatically saved to his phone and he "forgot they were there"

A police officer who had extreme pornographic images on his phone has been dismissed.

The images were sent to PC Matthew Glaysher, 27, in a WhatsApp group chat, a misconduct hearing was told.

The Watford-based officer said the pornographic content was "unsolicited" and he forgot the images were on his phone.

Hertfordshire Police Chief Constable Charlie Hall found his actions amounted to gross misconduct.

The hearing was told Glaysher received the images between 1 March 2016 and 27 February 2017. He was a special constable for Thames Valley Police at the time.

Glaysher - who in November pleaded guilty at Luton Crown Court to possession of extreme pornography - told the hearing he "was not paying attention" to what was being sent in the group.

"I never sought out these images," he said. "Nothing was done with malice or menace."

Glaysher was dismissed without notice at the misconduct hearing at Hertfordshire Police HQ in Welwyn Garden City

Det Insp Abby Revell told the disciplinary hearing that the judge had described the images as "the worst of their kind" and sentenced Glaysher to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Mr Hall said although Glaysher had not forwarded the "vile" messages, his actions were "unbecoming of a police officer".