Missing Cambridgeshire police officer 'went for kebab'

PC Richard Musgrave (right) admits misconduct but denies gross misconduct

A policeman who went missing on duty picked up his wife and bought a kebab, a misconduct hearing has been told.

PC Richard Musgrave, based at March police station in Cambridgeshire, was in uniform and driving a marked police car at the time, on 31 July 2016.

His line manager could not contact him and was so concerned he sent colleagues to search for the missing officer.

PC Musgrave, who denies gross misconduct, later claimed he had been on burglary patrol, it is alleged.

Sgt Rob Savile told the hearing his colleague had left the station in a police vehicle but could not be contacted on his mobile phone or by radio.

'Stopped watch'

It is alleged that PC Musgrave took the car to collect his wife and her friends and give them a lift.

PC Musgrave, who admits misconduct, then drove to an industrial estate in the Hundred Road area and bought a kebab.

He was tracked electronically to the estate and officers were despatched on an emergency response.

The officer then resumed radio contact and returned to base, claiming he had been on a burglary patrol on the industrial estate, his watch had stopped, his earpiece had come out of his radio and his mobile was on silent.

It is also alleged that the next evening, PC Musgrave went to the The Hippodrome pub in March in a marked police vehicle in uniform, meeting his wife and friends there.

PC Musgrave is based at March police station

The group were acting in a drunken and aggressive manner but he did not take steps to address this, the hearing was told.

Cambridgeshire Police has said his witness statement relating to this incident was "incomplete" and "contained assertions that were untrue", and that he had admitted lying to the sergeant about the time he went missing.

The hearing continues.