Latest news with #DennisMurray
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Yahoo
PC touched colleague inappropriately, panel finds
A police officer has been found to have touched a colleague intimately in a way that was "deliberate, unwarranted and unnecessary". PC Ben Lane, who was based in Berkshire, touched the man inappropriately over his clothing while at work in September 2024, a panel found. Mr Lane, who has since quit Thames Valley Police (TVP), claimed he was trying to demonstrate an alleged sexual assault he was investigating and touched his colleague on the back of his right leg. The panel, led by TVP's assistant chief constable Dennis Murray, said that was "highly implausible". The panel heard the victim, referred to in the proceedings as Officer A, gave a "very comprehensive account" of what happened, including his "surprise and shock". Mr Murray said the attack "could be classed as criminal in nature" and amounted to a "sexual assault on police premises". Mr Lane, who did not attend Wednesday's hearing at TVP's headquarters in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, said in a statement that he used 10% of the possible pressure when he touched the man. But Officer A scored the pain inflicted on him at four or five out of 10. The panel found that Mr Lane had committed gross misconduct and that he would have been sacked had he not already quit. He will be added to the College of Policing's barred list. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Related internet links Thames Valley Police
BBC News
16-07-2025
- BBC News
Thames Valley Police touched colleague inappropriately
A police officer has been found to have touched a colleague intimately in a way that was "deliberate, unwarranted and unnecessary".PC Ben Lane, who was based in Berkshire, touched the man inappropriately over his clothing while at work in September 2024, a panel Lane, who has since quit Thames Valley Police (TVP), claimed he was trying to demonstrate an alleged sexual assault he was investigating and touched his colleague on the back of his right panel, led by TVP's assistant chief constable Dennis Murray, said that was "highly implausible". The panel heard the victim, referred to in the proceedings as Officer A, gave a "very comprehensive account" of what happened, including his "surprise and shock".Mr Murray said the attack "could be classed as criminal in nature" and amounted to a "sexual assault on police premises".Mr Lane, who did not attend Wednesday's hearing at TVP's headquarters in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, said in a statement that he used 10% of the possible pressure when he touched the Officer A scored the pain inflicted on him at four or five out of panel found that Mr Lane had committed gross misconduct and that he would have been sacked had he not already will be added to the College of Policing's barred list. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Suspension on police leave over summer is lifted
A temporary ban on Thames Valley Police officers booking holidays over the summer via an automated system has been partly lifted. The force made changes to how annual leave could be taken because of concerns over available resources during the busy period, which left some staff frustrated. New requests had to be authorised by management rather than via a straightforward "self-services" option. On Friday, the force said staffing levels for the season had been confirmed and it had "reintroduced automated leave bookings for the majority". Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray said: "There remain a small number of specific days where automated leave is suspended to meet operational needs, as has been the case in the past. "We continuously monitor staffing levels to balance officer welfare with our duty to keep communities safe." Previously, time off could not be booked from 31 May to 1 September automatically, a decision the force said was "not taken lightly". Responses on the Thames Valley Police Federation's Facebook page were mainly negative, with one member calling it "easily the worst year for booking annual leave I've seen in my career" and another saying morale was "at rock bottom". "It is already difficult to find enough weeks in a year to have a holiday without seeing a sea of red on the calendar," one said. But ACC Murray said, while it was reviewed regularly "to support officer welfare", the force had to "consider ways to best plan for key events during the busy summer period". You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Police officers frustrated over leave changes Thames Valley Police Thames Valley Police Federation
BBC News
15-02-2025
- BBC News
Thames Valley Police: Suspension on annual leave is lifted
A temporary ban on Thames Valley Police officers booking holidays over the summer via an automated system has been partly force made changes to how annual leave could be taken because of concerns over available resources during the busy period, which left some staff requests had to be authorised by management rather than via a straightforward "self-services" Friday, the force said staffing levels for the season had been confirmed and it had "reintroduced automated leave bookings for the majority". Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray said: "There remain a small number of specific days where automated leave is suspended to meet operational needs, as has been the case in the past."We continuously monitor staffing levels to balance officer welfare with our duty to keep communities safe." Previously, time off could not be booked from 31 May to 1 September automatically, a decision the force said was "not taken lightly".Responses on the Thames Valley Police Federation's Facebook page were mainly negative, with one member calling it "easily the worst year for booking annual leave I've seen in my career" and another saying morale was "at rock bottom"."It is already difficult to find enough weeks in a year to have a holiday without seeing a sea of red on the calendar," one ACC Murray said, while it was reviewed regularly "to support officer welfare", the force had to "consider ways to best plan for key events during the busy summer period". You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
