Special officers guilty of misconduct over bottom touching

The incidents occurred while the officers were off duty and socialising with colleagues

Two special officers from British Transport Police have been found guilty of misconduct after touching colleagues inappropriately at a social event.

A tribunal heard Special Ch Insp Andrew Whitworth and Special Sgt Gary Sims were off duty and socialising with colleagues in Derby in October 2021.

The hearing heard they touched female colleagues' bottoms.

Mr Whitworth was dismissed while Mr Sims would have been dismissed had he not already resigned, the panel said.

The tribunal, at British Transport Police Headquarters in London, heard on the night in question, Sgt Sims, who was based in London, drank to excess.

He then danced, uninvited, "inappropriately" with a colleague, who stated she had previously been "bullied and harassed" by him.

Outside he forcefully slapped the bottom of another female colleague, the hearing heard.

The tribunal found Special Ch Insp Andrew Whitworth, from Rugby, had been "dismissive" of reports of Sgt Sims behaviour and then himself "pinched or grabbed" another colleague's bottom.

The panel found the allegations of misconduct against both officers proven.