Cambridgeshire: Speeding special sacked after driving at 94mph

SC Ryan Berridge, from Cambridgeshire Police, was not trained or authorised to drive a police car at speed

A special constable has been dismissed after driving a police car at 94mph (151km/h) when not qualified to do so.

Ryan Berridge, from Cambridgeshire Police, was found by a panel to have committed gross misconduct.

He also used an offensive term on a rural policing WhatsApp group, and accessed police systems "for a non-policing purpose".

Chief Constable Nick Dean said "Mr Berridge's actions fall well below [the force's] standards."

The misconduct hearing was told the special constable "exceeded the speed limit significantly" while driving a marked police car in March 2020.

It was "over a prolonged period of time, over a long distance, and [he] illuminated the blue lights whilst passing other road users".

The disciplinary panel said Mr Berridge put himself, colleagues and the public at risk "by the excessive manner of driving in a marked police vehicle which you were not trained or authorised to do".

It added: "Telematics data provides information that this was not a momentary lapse."

The Cambridgeshire Police disciplinary panel said the special constable had driven "beyond the realms" of his training

As well as the driving matter, the hearing was told Mr Berridge used police equipment for unauthorised access to police systems, while off-duty, "over a few months and on 20 separate dates" last year.

The panel also heard he used a derogatory term and statement in a rural policing WhatsApp group, which also contained members of the public.

The disciplinary panel found he "breached the standards of professional behaviour in respect of duties and responsibilities, discreditable conduct, confidentiality and equality and diversity, amounting to gross misconduct".