Hampshire police unit supervisor 'sent emails to run football club'

A supervisor of a Hampshire police crime unit accused of having a "toxic" culture, sent hundreds of emails from his work account to run a football team, a tribunal heard.

Det Sgt Gregory Willcox sent 360 emails about the under-18 football club, the hearing in Eastleigh was told.

He denied spending "valuable" work time organising the Stockbridge team.

Six officers from Hampshire's Serious Organised Crime Unit (Socu) North (N) office deny gross misconduct.

The force disciplinary hearing was previously told six members of the Basingstoke-based unit were secretly recorded making homophobic, racist and sexist remarks.

A "toxic, abhorrent culture" developed with officers using offensive terms for women, black people, immigrants, disabled, gay and transgender people and foreign nationals, the hearing was told.

A total of 360 messages sent by Det Sgt Willcox from his work account between October 2017 and April 2018 related to "football matters" - almost a quarter of all emails he sent.

'Requirement for email address'

Jason Beer QC, presenting the case against the officers, said: "The schedule of private football-related emails sent by Det Sgt Willcox shows that he was spending a lot of time at work dealing with Stockbridge football club rather than doing his job as a supervisor of Socu N."

Giving evidence, Det Sgt Willcox said: "It was a procedure when I first started the youth team, there was a requirement for an email address, as my involvement increased, my emails increased."

Retired Det Insp Tim Ireson, Det Sgt Oliver Lage, Det Sgt Willcox, former PC Craig Bannerman, trainee Det Con Andrew Ferguson and PC James Oldfield are all accused of breaching professional standards.

Mr Ireson and Det Sgt Willcox are accused of failing to fulfil their supervisory roles to stop or report the inappropriate behaviour.

The hearing continues.