Former Lincolnshire PC who took cocaine would have been dismissed

Former Lincolnshire Police Constable Liam Shields resigned in March this year

A former police officer who admitted taking cocaine would have been dismissed had he not already resigned, a misconduct hearing has found.

Former Lincolnshire Police Constable Liam Shields admitted taking the drug between April 2019 and April 2022, while he was a serving officer.

The hearing at Lincolnshire Police headquarters heard he breached professional standards.

Mr Shields was based at Stamford police station before he resigned in March.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson said: "It was alleged that between 25 May 2022 and 26 May 2022 he partook a line of cocaine, a controlled drug, which he admitted taking during a subsequent police interview.

"On various dates between 13 April 2019 and 18 April 2022 he had taken cocaine, which is a controlled drug and at the time he was a serving police officer."

At the hearing, chaired by Chief Constable Chris Haward, Mr Shields was found to have shown discreditable conduct and breached standards of honesty and integrity.