Milton Keynes police officer loses job after ignoring orders to not drive

PC Giles Manning, based in Milton Keynes local policing area, was dismissed without notice last week, following a public misconduct hearing.

A Thames Valley public misconduct hearing found that Manning breached standards of professional behaviour. They heard that on June 6, Manning performed a static vehicle block, despite never having been trained or authorised to do so.

PC Manning was informed later the same day that with immediate effect and until further notice his authority to drive police vehicles had been withdrawn.

However 11 days later while on duty he took keys for a Vivaro van, which was a fully marked and liveried police vehicle, and elected to drive it, despite having an authorised driver as a passenger. He attended an immediate response call at 7.07am and a further immediate response call at 7.19am.

Deputy Chief Constable John Campbell said: “PC Manning disobeyed instructions not to drive a police vehicle and failed to treat his colleague with respect.

“He breached the high standards the public rightly expect our officers to have and there is no place in Thames Valley Police for those to fail to adhere to the instructions they are given and do not treat others with respect.”