Northumbria Police officer sacked over inappropriate pictures

The identity of the Northumbria Police officer is not being released

A police officer who was in "inappropriate sexualised" pictures shared on social media has been sacked.

The Northumbria Police officer featured in several images posted on Twitter and Instagram, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

The IOPC said instead of asking for the pictures to be removed, the officer then encouraged them by posting "unacceptable" comments.

Northumbria Police found he had committed gross misconduct.

The IOPC said the force referred the officer, who is not being identified, to them with an investigation then carried out by Northumbria Police's counter-corruption unit under the watchdog's direction.

'Entirely inappropriate'

The pictures posted on public profiles "appeared to show the officer engaged in poses of a sexualised nature", an IOPC spokesman said.

Comments posted below the pictures came from profiles attributed to the officer, he said.

"We found the officer may have breached the standards of professional behaviour by allowing the photos to be taken and posted," the spokesman said.

IOPC Director of Major Investigations Steve Noonan said: "This use of social media was entirely inappropriate and risked seriously undermining public confidence in the police.

"When he became aware these images had been posted, rather than asking for them to be removed, he encouraged them by posting comments from his own social media account that were completely unacceptable for a police officer.

"He has now been dismissed and will be barred from working in policing in future."

Det Ch Insp Donna Rose, from Northumbria Police's Professional Standards Department, said: "The actions of this individual were completely unacceptable.

"In no way are they representative of the officers, staff and volunteers who every single day display they highest levels of professionalism and commitment to the communities we are proud to be a part of and to serve."

No further details about the officer - including his rank or where he was stationed - have been released.