Dog-walking Dorset Police officer faked injury for £150k

Former police constable Matthew Littlefair was sentenced to two years and three months in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court

A former police officer who feigned injury and claimed almost £150,000 from the force has been found guilty of gross misconduct.

Mathew Littlefair resigned from Dorset Police in 2021 after being jailed for fraud.

He pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming funds for a back injury he sustained while on duty in 2017.

He said he was "unable to carry out daily tasks" but was found walking his dog and running on multiple occasions.

A Dorset Police misconduct panel found Mr Littlefair guilty of gross misconduct and banned him from future police employment.

Mr Littlefair is currently serving a prison sentence of two years and three months after pleading guilty to committing fraud by false representation, the hearing in Winfrith was told.

The panel heard how between October 2017 and July 2020, Mr Littlefair claimed £149,764.20 from Dorset Police for a back injury sustained during a minor traffic collision, when a car hit the back of his vehicle while he was on duty.

He told the force he experienced symptoms including constant neck pain, headaches, an ongoing burning sensation in his thoracic spine and added his knees gave way.

'Undermined public confidence'

As a result Mr Littlefair was allowed to work from home and carry out reduced hours to accommodate his symptoms, which he claimed prevented him from normal police duties and daily tasks, the panel heard.

In January 2020, the force's counter corruption unit received allegations Mr Littlefair's symptoms were "not as severe as he was saying".

A Dorset Police surveillance team deployed 10 times to observe the former police officer, who was seen walking his dog, running and driving in the New Forest in Hampshire.

Data collected from his phone also found he had done 8,503 steps in one day, the panel heard.

Chair of the panel, Mr James Rickard, said: "There can be no higher undermining of public confidence in the police than when an officer is convicted of a crime and sent to prison."

Mr Rickard found the officer guilty of misconduct and said if he had not already resigned, Mr Littlefair would have been dismissed without noticed.

Following the hearing, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Lyne said Mr Littlefair's actions "undermined the confidence of the public" in the force.

"Members of the public quite rightly expect our officers to operate with the highest levels of honesty and integrity and the actions of former PC Littlefair clearly fell well below those standards.

"There is no place in Dorset Police for this dishonest behaviour," he added.