Cleveland Police mulling legal options over urinating PC

Nine changing rooms at Urban Outfitters in York had to be closed so the changing room could be cleaned after the drunk officer relieved herself

A police force is "considering legal options" over its officer who urinated in a shop while drunk, lied about it and then kept her job.

PC Amelia Shearer, 24, of Cleveland Police was found guilty of gross misconduct following the incident in Urban Outfitters in York last year.

On Wednesday, a disciplinary panel in Middlesbrough found her conduct was discreditable but refused to sack her.

Cleveland Police said the officer's conduct breached its "high standards".

The panel also found that Middlesbrough-based PC Shearer, who had been off-duty at the time, lied about what happened to her bosses.

It issued her with a final a warning, lasting five years, after it concluded there was "scope for her to be rehabilitated".

Cleveland Police had pushed for the probationer officer, who joined in 2019, to be dismissed.

'Concerned by outcome'

In response to the ruling, Chief Constable Mark Webster said: "Officers must adhere to the highest standards of behaviour and exemplify our values, whether on or off duty.

"The actions of this officer are incompatible with my expectations for those who serve in Cleveland and out of keeping with their role, which other officers uphold with pride and integrity.

"The misconduct process is in place to protect our standards and ensure public confidence in policing so we are concerned by the outcome determined at yesterday's hearing.

"We are now considering the legal options available to us."

The three-day hearing was told PC Shearer had been in York with a friend on 11 September.

She had consumed multiple alcoholic drinks before going to the store with her friend and while there asked a sales assistant if there were any customer toilets, the panel heard.

When she was told there was none, she went into a changing room cubicle but was not carrying any clothes.

The officer emerged from the cubicle and hurriedly left the store but staff found a pool of what smelled like urine on the floor.

She was later tracked down in York and questioned by police.

PC Shearer denied relieving herself in the fitting room and said she had only gone in to adjust her bra.

However, in a tear-filled conversation with her superior the following day she claimed she had been trying on clothes.

Joan Smith, for the defendant, said her client had good references and her performance had been described by her inspector as "excellent".