A POLICE officer has been dismissed without notice after an accelerated misconduct hearing took place on Friday, June 13.

Sergeant Christopher Tearle, who was based in Radstock, was found to have breached professional standards after taking paid employment despite knowing a request to do this had been declined.

Sgt Tearle made a business interest application in April 2023 seeking to undertake paid work, but this was refused by Avon and Somerset Police’s Professional Standards Department, with the subsequent appeal also being rejected. He was suspended for an unrelated matter at the time.

Police then subsequently received information from a third party later that year that Sgt Tearle had gained full-time employment at an engineering company, therefore ignoring the decisions made and continuing with his business interest without authority.

Gross misconduct was found to be proven by former Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden at a hearing held at the police’s Portishead headquarters. This was on the grounds that the officer had breached three standards of professional behaviour: integrity, orders and instructions, and discreditable conduct.

An allegation of dishonesty was not found to be proven.

In addition to being dismissed, Sgt Tearle will be added to the barred list, preventing him from serving in policing in the future.