Former MOD police officer 'claimed he shot Mark Duggan'

Mr Hall is facing a misconduct panel at the MOD police headquarters in Essex

A former Ministry of Defence police officer who boasted about shooting a man stole money collected for a colleague, a misconduct panel heard.

Marcus Hall allegedly told customers at his local pub in Essex that he was the police officer who shot Mark Duggan, whose death sparked riots in 2011.

The hearing was told Mr Hall stole from a colleague's retirement fund and was over the alcohol limit on duty.

Mr Hall, described as a "Walter Mitty" character, denies the allegations.

The former PC is facing a misconduct hearing at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) police headquarters in Wethersfield, Essex.

Locals at the White Horse Inn in Ridgewell said Mr Hall's stories became "a standing joke"

The panel heard that between 2016 and April 2019, Mr Hall regularly told customers of the White Horse pub in Ridgewell that he was the man who killed Mr Duggan - although he had never worked for the Metropolitan Police.

One man claimed Mr Hall told people he had Mr Duggan "in the cross hairs of my rifle".

"We had named him Walter Mitty… We didn't believe a word coming out his mouth, it became a standing joke," said one witness in a statement read to the hearing.

Edward Pleeth, representing the police, said Mr Hall lied about being a former soldier with the British Army.

Other ex-servicemen in the pub noticed irregularities in his stories, he said.

The panel heard Mr Hall had kept about £48 of a £70 retirement collection he arranged for a colleague, opting to buy cheap gifts and not returning the unspent money.

He also failed a breathalyser test while on duty, the hearing was told.

Mr Hall, who resigned from the force on 29 November, is not attending the hearing and is not represented.

The hearing continues.