PC sacked over secret filming of woman undressing

Ball was suspended from duty as soon as allegations were made, said BTP

A British Transport Police (BTP) officer who secretly filmed a woman undressing has been sacked for actions his superiors called "abhorrent".

PC Kieran Ball, 30, who served in Coventry, was found guilty in criminal court of voyeurism on 6 April.

Ball had set up an iPad to record a woman showering at a residential property, the court was told.

A disciplinary hearing at BTP headquarters on Tuesday found his actions amounted to gross misconduct.

Ball's criminal trial heard that the woman noticed the device propped up on a windowsill and found it had been recording for nearly six minutes.

He was also found guilty of covert recording and is due to be sentenced on 24 May.

Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi from BTP said: "My decision to dismiss Kieran Ball with immediate effect reflects the seriousness with which we view such behaviour and anyone who undermines our efforts to rebuild public confidence in policing."

She said there was "no place in the force for people like him".

She added "PC Ball was trusted with upholding the law and protecting women and girls, and yet he made this abhorrent attempt to invade the privacy of a woman" in a space "she had every right to feel safe in".

The force said the misconduct hearing had convened at the "earliest opportunity" following the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.