Jailed West Mercia Police officer would have been sacked, hearing rules

Rhett Wilson joined West Mercia Police in April 2019 and the offences began months later

A police officer who abused his position to start sexual relationships with women would have been sacked had he not resigned, a hearing has found.

Rhett Wilson, 28, was found to have breached standards of professional behaviour at an accelerated misconduct hearing on Friday.

He met domestic violence victims through his work as a West Mercia Police officer in Shropshire.

Wilson has now been banned from working for a UK police force in the future.

The former officer was jailed for two years and eight months in January, after admitting three corruption offences and being found guilty of perverting the course of justice for deleting evidence.

Wilson, 27, joined the force in 2019 and began pursuing sexual relationships and stalking vulnerable women in December that year.

'Damage trust in police'

He resigned from the force in July 2020 while under investigation.

Chief Constable Pippa Mills said: "Rhett Wilson's actions were thoroughly reprehensible, and I recognise his behaviour would damage the public's trust in the police.

"I would like to offer my assurances to the public that West Mercia Police will not tolerate this sort of behaviour and we will continue to root out corrupt officers and staff who fall below the threshold that is expected of them."

Wilson has been added to the College of Policing barred list.