Thames Valley Police officer given final written warning

The panel at the force's headquarters heard the officer touched a colleague "in a way that made her feel uncomfortable"

A police officer who was so drunk he could not remember making derogatory remarks to a member of the public has been given a final written warning.

PC Alexander Bavington, who works for Thames Valley Police, also touched a colleague "in a way that made her feel uncomfortable".

He admitted gross misconduct and his colleagues' account of events. He could not remember what happened himself.

An independent panel imposed a two-year final written warning.

It heard he had used a derogatory term to address the woman and also made a crude sexual remark to another colleague on the night out in Reading in May.

His behaviour was "deliberate" and "intentional" and "continued despite him being spoken to" about it, the panel found.

But it also said he had been "undoubtedly suffering from stress" and had shown "genuine remorse and contrition" about what had happened since.

It also said it had "made genuine efforts to address underlying issues", had completed courses on equality and diversity, and that it received "very positive" references on his behalf.

The panel said the final written warning was the "least serious" outcome open to it.