Drunk PC called 999 after officer refused to give her a lift

An off-duty officer who drunkenly shouted and swore when police refused her a lift after a night out has been given a final written warning.

PC Beth Hoey approached a fellow officer in Worcester while heavily intoxicated, and asked to be driven back to where she was staying.

When the officer refused, PC Hoey made an abusive 999 call, saying "cops are meant to help cops".

She had been found guilty of gross misconduct by Leicestershire Police.

A misconduct hearing, held at the force's headquarters in Enderby, was told PC Hoey and another person, referred to as Witness A, had been out drinking in Worcester city centre on 1 May 2022.

PC Hoey approached an officer from West Mercia Police - who was on patrol in Angel Place in the early hours - and identified herself as a Leicestershire officer, asking for her and Witness A to be driven back to where they were staying.

The West Mercia officer told her she was busy and directed her to a taxi rank, but the panel heard PC Hoey began to shout and swear in the street, claiming drivers were refusing to take Witness A because she was too drunk.

At 03:00, PC Hoey called 999 to report Witness A missing and said she might harm herself.

She complained officers on patrol were doing nothing and just "sitting in a van".

She said: "They don't care. Cops are meant to help cops."

The panel, which was played a recording of the 999 call and shown footage of PC Hoey on the night, concluded she had been disrespectful and exaggerated details when dealing with her fellow officers.

Panel chairman David Tyme said her behaviour amounted to gross misconduct because it was dishonest and discreditable.

However, he added: "PC Hoey's conduct was off-duty and unconnected with any police operation. The behaviour was confined to a single episode of a short period of duration.

"From the outset she accepted responsibility for her actions. She has shown genuine remorse for her behaviour."

He said the final warning would sit on her record for two years.

PC Hoey apologised to the panel during the hearing.

Det Supt Rich Ward, from the force's professional standards department, said: "The public and force rightly expect the highest standards of professional behaviour from all of our officers both on and off-duty.

"Behaviour which falls below these high standards expected will not be tolerated in the force.

"A misconduct hearing found that the officer's actions while out socialising breached these standards which are expected.

"It was determined that this amounted to gross misconduct and that the most appropriate outcome was for the officer to be issued with a final written warning."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].