Cleveland Police officer 'urinated in fitting room', panel told

Nine changing rooms at Urban Outfitters in York had to be closed so the changing room could be cleaned

A police officer is facing the sack for allegedly urinating in a shop fitting room while drinking off duty and then lying to her bosses about it.

A disciplinary panel was told PC Amelia Shearer relieved herself in Urban Outfitters in York on 11 September.

Staff saw a puddle of what smelled like urine on the floor before Ms Shearer "made a quick exit", the hearing was told.

The Cleveland Police officer denies the accusation of gross misconduct.

The retailer paid £492 to have the cubicle professionally cleaned and the store's nine fitting rooms had to be closed, the panel at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium was told.

Lost sense of smell

Olivia Checa-Dova, representing the force, said that by 15:30 BST on that Saturday PC Shearer was drunk after socialising with a friend.

The officer is reported to have asked if there were any customer toilets in the store and when told there were not she went into a cubicle without any clothes to try on.

Sales assistant Ryan Weir told the hearing he then called his manager for help.

Team leader Nicole Bean arrived and, when PC Shearer opened the door some minutes later, they saw a puddle of what smelled like urine, Mr Weir said.

A police officer was called and noted a damp patch on the wooden floor, but was not sure what it was as he had lost his sense of smell after having Covid.

Mr Weir told the panel there had not been a wet patch when the previous customer left the changing room.

'Shocked'

Ms Checa-Dova said the next day PC Shearer told her inspector she had gone into the cubicle to try clothes on, but her account now is that she went in to adjust her bra.

The Crown Prosecution Service had considered charging the officer with criminal damage but decided against it, the hearing was told.

"[You have] members of staff who were sober and an officer who was not," Ms Checa-Dova told the panel.

She said it was "just not likely" that the staff would have lied about it and it would be "bizarre" if they were mistaken.

Joan Smith, for the defence, asked Mr Weir why he had not said anything when the officer opened the cubicle door.

"I was quite shocked by the situation, I was not quite sure what to say," he said.

The hearing is expected to conclude on Wednesday.