Catching rogue officers shows Cumbria Police is 'good force'

A number of officers in the country have faced misconduct hearings over the past year but Cumbria's police, fire and crime commissioner says it shows the force is doing a good job to crack down on the issue.

David Allen, a former police officer who has previously worked in anti-corruption, said officers facing misconduct hearings was the sign of a good force.

Speaking on a visit to Barrow, Mr Allen said: "You will always get misconduct - some it of serious, some of it criminal.

"At the end of the day, the police are drawn from the public.

"Part of it is Cumbria Constabulary has a very active anti-corruption team and they actively look for corrupt officers.

"The good thing is they don't hide, they don't cover it up, they deal with those officers.

"They arrest them, put them before disciplinary and/or court and they're dealt with.

"That to me is the sign of a good force - they are not trying to cover anything up."

Mr Allen, who previously worked as an officer in the county as well as for the National Crime Agency, added:  "I'm a big believer that you deal with this head-on.

"Most people don't join the police to be criminals, they join to catch criminals.

"What the force is doing is actively seeking out active misconduct."

Last year several rogue police officers in Cumbria were barred from the profession after being the subject of misconduct hearings.

Running an illicit online account, having an inappropriate relationship with a woman and fighting with a member of the public were among the reasons why officers were sanctioned.

Cumbria Police said it showed they treated misconduct claims with the 'utmost seriousness and investigated thoroughly and diligently'.

Among them was a police officer who ran a Twitter account selling explicit photos and videos.

Another officer, who aimed a kick at a man during a melee while off duty, would have been dismissed without notice following a hearing.