Police officers accused of spraying laughing gas

Three Merseyside Police officers accused of "spraying colleagues with nitrous oxide" face a misconduct hearing.

Former Sgt Andrew Ditchfield, former PC Callum Smith and serving PC James Taafe are accused of gross misconduct.

Their behaviour allegedly caused a female colleague to be "stressed and lose her hair", according to a notice issued by the force's Professional Standards Department.

Mr Smith faces a separate allegation that he viewed a "sexualised video" to "taunt a member of the public". Meanwhile Mr Ditchfield is accused of "viewing footage and laughing at the misfortune of a colleague".

The notice states that "in spraying their colleagues with nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) and soaking a colleague with water, they have abused their authority as a police officer and have failed to treat colleagues with any respect or courtesy".

They are also accused of treating a colleague differently because she was a woman.

A 10-day hearing, before legally qualified chair David Tyme, is due to start on 24 February at Merseyside Police headquarters.

The force said it could not comment before proceedings had concluded.

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