North Wales Police loses £30k on car PC crashed going to vet

Anja Macleod crashed an unmarked police car while taking her dog to the vet, and then lied to her sergeant

A police force has lost the value of a car an officer crashed while on a trip to the vet, it has confirmed.

North Wales Police traffic PC Anja Macleod lied to her sergeant that she was at Dyserth Bends, Denbighshire, looking for a disqualified driver.

But in fact she was taking her dog to a vets' surgery, and a misconduct hearing decided she should be sacked.

The force said it had lost the value of the 2019 BMW 330 estate - cars which typically cost more than £30,000.

Ms Macleod tried to hide her wrong-doing and was guilty of gross misconduct, June's hearing concluded.

She had previously been convicted for animal cruelty in 2008, after she was filmed kicking and throwing her pet dogs, resulting in 10 days' pay being docked.

• North Wales Police officer sacked after crashing police car

• North Wales Police officer crashed car

Following the crash at Dyserth Bends, it was found Ms Macleod had lied to her sergeant about why she was in the area.

Sgt Jason Diamond told the hearing that he had given Ms Macleod an hour off duty to go to the vet on 26 May, but that nothing was mentioned about taking a police car.

He said he went to the scene following the crash and Ms Macleod told him "that she had caused the collision by being across the road".

He said he had not been informed that the dog, named Guinness, was in the back of the car at the time of the crash.

"She told me she was in the area looking for a disqualified driver," he said.

While North Wales Police confirmed it had lost the value of the car, it is believed a third party insurance claim relating to the crash is ongoing.