Met Police Sacks Officer for Inappropriate Messages to 17-Year-Old Cadet

The force cast the move as safeguarding to uphold boundaries in its cadet programme.

Overview

An accelerated misconduct hearing ordered the dismissal without notice of PC Bethan Hills of Met Operations.
Between April 2023 and February 2024, while serving as a cadet leader, she sent personal messages from her private phone to a vulnerable 17-year-old via a messaging app.
The panel found the volume and personal nature of the messages were not appropriate for her role and stated they were not sexual.
The behaviour was reported on 17 February 2024, and she was suspended from duty four days later.
She will be added to the College of Policing's Barred List, with Chief Superintendent Andrew Ricketts saying she crossed professional boundaries and abused trust.