Overview

• A misconduct panel ruled that PC Lorne Castle used unnecessary and disproportionate force during the January 2024 arrest of a knife-carrying 15-year-old, leading to his gross misconduct dismissal.
• On June 3, Dorset Police released body-worn camera footage showing Castle tackling the youth, swearing at him and securing a knife that fell from the boy’s waistband.
• Castle has launched an appeal against his dismissal and supporters have raised almost £50,000 via GoFundMe to fund his challenge.
• Critics point to a May 2024 rule change allowing senior officers to chair misconduct hearings as a factor in the tribunal’s outcome, prompting questions about procedural fairness.
• Castle’s decade-long record includes two bravery commendations and a national award for rescuing a woman from a flooded river, underscoring tensions between frontline risks and accountability standards.