Derbyshire officer's misconduct hearing for remarks about women

Sgt Darran Clarke denies all alleged breaches of the professional standards for policing

A police sergeant said there were "too many women in the office" a misconduct hearing was told.

Darran Clarke is said to have behaved in a way that amounted to gross misconduct and breached professional policing standards.

The Derbyshire officer is alleged to have made a series of inappropriate remarks about women, lesbians and his colleagues.

Sgt Clarke denies all alleged breaches of the professional standards.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Sgt Clarke is alleged to have invited a female officer into a male locker room, an offer she declined.

The same officer said he also touched her chest.

"After asking if I sorted the papers out, I said 'yes'. He [Sgt Clarke] then leant forwards towards me and patted me with the back of his hand on my chest, then said 'good girl'.

"It was definitely patronising and it made me feel uncomfortable," she said.

Other allegations against Sgt Clarke are that he once said: "There are too many women in the office" and "Why do I have to work in an office full of lesbians?"

Another allegation claims he referred to a lesbian colleague as a "rainbow warrior".

One officer, who cannot be named, cried on the first day of the hearing as she claimed Sgt Clarke made fun of her weight by saying a bike needed to be "pumped up" before she took it.

The officer said: "It was delivered in a way that because of my weight the tyres would need pumping up.

"It was in a room full of other people and I took it to be that I was quite weighty."

The misconduct hearing continues.