PC made false statement and forged signature

Tanya Gupta
BBC News, West Midlands
BBC A sign at Hindlip Park, which is the headquarters of West Mercia Police, points visits and staff to the entrance. It is it a road junction surrounded by areas of grass. There are road markings and buildings and cars in the background.BBC
PC Christopher Sargeant undermined trust in the force, a police chief said

A police officer who made a false entry in his police-issue pocket notebook, claiming a victim of a crime did not want any further action, and forged their signature on the statement, would have been dismissed if he had not already resigned, a disciplinary hearing has found.

PC Christopher Sargeant, who worked for the West Mercia force, showed "dishonesty and total lack of integrity", Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Jones said.

Ms Jones said the 55-year-old "totally undermined the trust which the victim had placed in the force" in November 2022.

Mr Sargeant, who was the subject of a gross misconduct hearing on Friday, was previously based in Market Drayton, Shropshire.

Ms Jones said he had abused his power, adding: "His actions were totally unacceptable."

Mr Sargeant will be added to the College of Policing's Barred List, banning him from working for police in the future.

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