Latest news with #LiamReakes
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Time of India
Cop fakes 100 hours of work-from-home using one keyboard key, gets caught
Silence of Accountability The Uniform Carries Weight; Even from Home The Emotional Distance of a Laptop Screen A Wake-up Call The rise of work-from-home culture brought with it new freedoms — and new temptations. With no one watching over your shoulder, the possibilities for both productivity and pretense widened. For many, this trust became a motivation. For some, it became an opportunity to quietly cut such case, now making headlines in the UK, is that of former police constable Liam Reakes . According to a report by BBC, Reakes was recently found guilty of gross misconduct after faking over 100 hours of remote police work — not with clever software or complex trickery, but by simply holding down the 'Z' key on his June and September 2024, an internal keystroke audit showed Reakes' keyboard activity was unusually high compared to others in similar roles. The audit revealed what was really happening: Reakes had opened blank Microsoft Word documents and pressed a single key to simulate work activity. Investigators later learned this habit may have dated back as far as September didn't attend the misconduct hearing held in June 2025, but he admitted to the activity. Still, he denied it was a deliberate attempt to feign productivity. However, the misconduct panel wasn't convinced. Their conclusion was clear — this was no accident, and the damage was more than the panel, Craig Holden didn't mince words. 'The impact on the trust the public have in the police service will be damaged,' he stated, adding that Reakes lied during the interview process and sustained the deceptive activity over months. In a profession where integrity is expected at every level, this kind of behavior cuts deeper than a lost work report — it hits the ethos of Reakes not already resigned, he would have been dismissed. His name has now been added to a national barred list, effectively ending his career in law enforcement across the defense cited mental health struggles and a lack of institutional support. But according to Barrister Mark Ley-Morgan, who represented the police force, there had been no official mention of such issues. In fact, Reakes had been placed under an action plan, assigned a tutor, and flagged in multiple performance meetings across Supt. Larisa Hunt, head of the Professional Standards Department, addressed the fallout: 'The use of any device or system to replicate keyboard activity is wholly wrong and deceptive. The public will be rightly outraged at this behaviour.' She also noted the strain such actions place on honest officers carrying heavy in her words lies a soft acknowledgment — that systems must not just monitor performance, but also wellbeing. That remote work, especially in high-responsibility roles, needs more than technical audits. It requires conversation, empathy, and case of Liam Reakes isn't just about a dishonest constable. It's a window into the quieter dangers of remote work when mixed with pressure, disillusionment, and silence. For someone tasked with protecting others, the lines between personal struggle and public duty became tragically while pressing a single key might have seemed harmless in the moment, the cost was far heavier — not only for Reakes, but for the uniform he wore, and the institution that trusted companies and public agencies continue to evolve in hybrid and remote work models, this story stands as a reminder: trust isn't measured in keystrokes, but in consistency, honesty, and the courage to ask for help before you choose to pretend.
News.com.au
11-06-2025
- News.com.au
‘Paid for work he wasn't doing': Police officer banned from force after ‘deceitful' WFH act
A former UK police officer has been banned for life from working in law enforcement after being found to have faked over 100 hours of work. PC Liam Reakes, based in Yeovil, England, was found to have committed gross misconduct following a tribunal at Avon and Somerset Police headquarters. The misconduct panel heard how, between June and September 2024, Mr Reakes deliberately held down keys on his laptop at regular intervals while working from home 'to make it appear as if he was working when he wasn't', according to a statement from Avon and Somerset Police. His actions came to light after an audit of keystrokes was carried out in September 2024, revealing that Mr Reakes' total was significantly higher than that of his colleagues in similar roles. He would have been fired had he not already resigned from the force and has now been added to the national barred list, meaning he can never work in policing or other law enforcement agencies again. The former officer, who did not attend the hearing, admitted to opening a blank Word document and holding down the 'Z' character on his keyboard for long periods of time. This occurred for a total of 103 hours over numerous shifts during the 2024 June to September period, sometimes for more than four hours at a time, according to BristolLive. The misconduct panel heard that a subsequent keystroke audit showed he had been doing this since September 2023. While he admitted to doing this, Mr Reakes denied this was to give a false impression that he was working when he was not. Barrister Mark Ley-Morgan, who represented the force at the hearing, told the panel that the officer had claimed he was struggling with mental health issues, while also lacking the support he felt from working alongside others in an office environment. Mr Ley-Morgan said Mr Reakes claimed he deliberately held down the keyboard key so he could see his computer screen and respond to messages promptly. However, the barrister claimed there was no evidence to support the worker's claim, saying he had made no mention of mental health difficulties during previous conversations with his sergeant. The hearing was told Mr Reakes and his sergeant had numerous meetings throughout 2024 resulting from concerns about the officer's performance. 'He knew he was being paid for work that he was not doing,' Mr Ley Morgan said, according to BristolLive. 'We are all entitled to take a break and have a cup of tea but this was far beyond that. There is no place in the police service for dishonest officers.' During the misconduct hearing, panel chairman Craig Holden, branded Mr Reakes' behaviour as 'deceitful and dishonest'. 'The impact on the trust the public have in the police service will be damaged,' he said. 'He had lied during the interview process when he could have come clean, and the activity was regular and sustained.' In a statement released following the hearing, Detective Superintendent Larisa Hunt, head of the Professional Standards Department said, prior to the keyboard audit, the former offer was the subject of an action plan and had been allocated a tutor due to concerns over his performance. 'The use of any device or system to replicate keyboard activity is wholly wrong and deceptive and the public will be rightly outraged at this behaviour,' she said. 'Not only has he let down those he made a commitment to serve and protect but he's also let down his colleagues, who are continuing to deal with significant pressure and workloads.' Det Supt Hunt said line managers are being continually reminded of their responsibilities to hold regular check-ins, one-to-ones and reviews in order to properly monitor the wellbeing and capacity of their staff. 'It's also important for performance issues to be identified early and any necessary support or training put in place to help resolve them,' she said.
Scottish Sun
09-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
‘Deceptive' cop who weighed down laptop keys to make it look like he was working barred from policing
The officer would have been sacked had he not quit KEYS-CON COPS 'Deceptive' cop who weighed down laptop keys to make it look like he was working barred from policing Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A COP who weighed down laptop keys to make it look like he was working from home was barred from policing. PC Liam Reakes's actions cost his force more than 100 hours. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Reakes admitted opening a blank Word document and holding down the Z key for long periods Credit: Getty Concerns were raised about his efforts before a September 2024 audit of keystrokes flagged his total as much higher than others doing similar jobs. Reakes would have been sacked had he not quit in Yeovil, Somerset. A panel found he committed gross misconduct. Reakes did not attend the hearing. He admitted opening a blank Word document and holding down the Z key for long periods. He denyied this was to give a false impression he was working from home. Det Supt Larisa Hunt said: 'PC Reakes was the subject of an action plan and was allocated a tutor due to concerns over his performance prior to the keyboard audit being carried out. 'The use of any device or system to replicate keyboard activity is wholly wrong and deceptive and the public will be rightly outraged at this behaviour. 'Not only has he let down those he made a commitment to serve and protect but he's also let down his colleagues, who are continuing to deal with significant pressure and workloads.'
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
‘Deceptive' cop who weighed down laptop keys to make it look like he was working barred from policing
A COP who weighed down laptop keys to make it look like he was working from home was barred from policing. PC Liam Reakes's actions cost his force more than 100 hours. 2 Reakes admitted opening a blank Word document and holding down the Z key for long periods Credit: Getty Concerns were raised about his efforts before a September 2024 audit of keystrokes flagged his total as much higher than others doing similar jobs. Reakes would have been sacked had he not quit in Yeovil, Somerset. A panel found he committed gross misconduct. Reakes did not attend the hearing. Read More on UK News He admitted opening a blank Word document and holding down the Z key for long periods. He denyied this was to give a false impression he was working from home. Det Supt Larisa Hunt said: 'PC Reakes was the subject of an action plan and was allocated a tutor due to concerns over his performance prior to the keyboard audit being carried out. 'The use of any device or system to replicate keyboard activity is wholly wrong and deceptive and the public will be rightly outraged at this behaviour. Most read in The Sun 'Not only has he let down those he made a commitment to serve and protect but he's also let down his colleagues, who are continuing to deal with significant pressure and workloads.' 2 A former cop who weighed down laptop keys to make it look like he was working from home has been barred from policing (stock picture) Credit: Alamy
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Police officer who faked working from home by weighing down the letter Z on his laptop keyboard for more than 100 hours is banned from the force for life
A former police officer has been barred from the profession after he faked more than 100 hours of work by holding down the 'z' key on his keyboard. PC Liam Reakes was found to have committed gross misconduct in a tribunal at Avon and Somerset Police headquarters in Portishead today. He would have been dismissed without notice if he had not already resigned last month, Bristol Live reported. The Yeovil-based officer admitted to holding down the key during numerous shifts for 103 hours between June and September 2024, sometimes for more than four hours at a time. In a subsequent audit of his keystrokes, it was discovered that he had been using the same tactic since the previous September, the hearing was told. Chairman of the panel Craig Holden called the behaviour 'deceitful and dishonest'. 'He had lied during the interview process when he could have come clean, and the activity was regular and sustained', Mr Holden added. PC Reakes admitted opening a blank Word document and holding the Z key for long periods of time, however he denied that it was to falsely give the impression he was working when he wasn't. Nevertheless he accepted his behaviour fell below the standards expected. Barrister Mark Ley-Morgan, representing Avon and Somerset Police, said: 'He knew he was being paid for work that he was not doing. 'We are all entitled to take a break and have a cup of tea but this was far beyond that. 'There is no place in the police service for dishonest officers.' He added that concerns about PC Reakes' performance in 2024 had led to meetings with his sergeant. PC Reakes argued that he was struggling with mental health issues and lacked the support and motivation which came from working alongside colleague sin an office, Mr Ley-Morgan said. He said that PC Reakes claimed that he held down the Z key to allow him to see his computer screen and respond quickly to messages. PC Reakes has been added to the national barred list preventing him from working in policing or law enforcement agencies again Last month, in a strikingly similar case Detective Constable Philippa Baskwill, who was also based in Somerset was dismissed without notice after she deliberately weighed down keys on her laptop more than 21 million times to make it appear as if she was working from home. The hearing heard how software used by the Professional Standards Department identified an abnormal number of keystrokes over prolonged periods of time, which prompted an investigation. The investigation found evidence that DC Baskwill opened documents and repeatedly depressed specific keys to make it appear as if she was working. This behaviour was identified on 17 separate days in 2023, varying from a few minutes to up to more than a four hours. A total of more than 21 million keystrokes were recorded in 2023, with almost three million in one month alone. The investigation also found evidence that DC Baskwill was also using her work laptop during shifts to do online shopping and search for flights. In November 2023, she was online shopping for a total of four hours and 30 minutes during one shift. In her account, DC Baskwill admitted to using her mobile phone to depress keys and prevent her laptop from going into standby.
