New Reform UK councillor was sacked from police for calling in sick before travelling to Spain
A newly elected Reform UK councillor was sacked from his previous job as a police officer after reporting illness before travelling to Spain to sell a luxury sports car.
Andrew Hamilton-Gray shaded victory over Labour on 2 May, receiving nearly 40 per cent of the vote to win a seat in Loughborough at the Leicestershire County Council elections in a glorious night for Nigel Farage's party.
But it has since emerged he was sacked as a Leicestershire Police officer after he called in sick hours before taking a ferry to Spain.
He was dismissed from the force in January 2024 for breaching professional standards on 'honesty and integrity, discreditable conduct, orders and instructions, and duties and responsibilities'.
Mr Hamilton-Gray applied for holiday leave to deliver a car to Barcelona in April 2023, but it was partly rejected, a misconduct panel heard.
A week later, he was found to have booked a return ferry ticket to Spain from Portsmouth despite being scheduled to patrol the streets.
The next month, he was stopped by police in a vintage red Porsche as he gave a customer a test drive whilst being signed off sick.
Dismissing PC Gray, then chief constable Rob Nixon described his conduct as a 'deliberate' and 'planned' deception.
He said: 'PC Gray's conduct in this case was deliberate and he is solely responsible for his actions.
'Misconduct of this nature undermines discipline and good order within the police service and is likely to undermine confidence in policing.
'While this misconduct was confined to a single episode within a long and distinguished police career, it is with a heavy heart having considered the full circumstances of the case and the guidance, I find the appropriate outcome in this case is dismissal without notice.'
On his LinkedIn profile, Mr Hamilton-Gray wrote of securing deals for pre-owned Ferrari, Maserati, and Porsche sports cars in a second job alongside being a police officer.
Mr Hamilton-Gray had been given permission by the force to pursue a second business interest in car sales on the condition that police work took precedence, and he didn't work for the company when signed off for illness or injury.
Reform UK took 25 seats on 2 May, enough to relinquish the Conservatives' 24-year grip on Leicestershire County Hall.
After his election win, Mr Hamilton-Gray thanked voters, claiming he would serve 'constituents with honour, integrity and transparency'.
He said: 'I never aspired to a career in politics, however, witnessing the horrendous leadership currently taking place in our beautiful country, I could not stand back and do nothing.
'I have spent most of my life serving the crown and it is my honour to do so again as your representative at the council table.
'The values and ethics of Reform represent common sense and a love for this amazing country that quite frankly, has been lacking in modern politics for far too long.'
He added: 'Today it's time for action, and with thanks to your vote, we can now start to get our great country back, not just for us now but for our children and their children. I stand ready to do my duty once more for this incredible country and make it something to be proud of once again, county by county.'
Reform UK and Mr Hamilton-Gray have been contacted for comment by The Independent. Mr Hamilton-Gray told the BBC he has been advised not to comment.
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