PC banned over comment about teenage worker

A police officer who referred to a female teenager working at a petrol station as "local talent" has been barred from the profession.

Edward Reed, who resigned before the ban was enforced, served as a constable at Cowley Police Station in Oxford.

A misconduct panel found he also made sexualised comments and engaged in unwanted physical contact with colleagues.

Reed told the panel he had "never intentionally acted in a way that would intimidate, offend, or cause distress to others".

The panel heard Reed was at a BP garage in Wolvercote on 15 September 2023 when he made the comment about "local talent" while looking towards a female at the payment kiosk who was thought to be about 17 or 18 years old.

In a statement, a fellow officer said Reed made the comment within earshot of several members of the public.

The same day, Reed made a comment about a female officer's backside while in a car with colleagues.

The following month, Reed wrote his name and phone number in a female colleague's day book, placed his hand on her thigh and winked at her at Cowley Police Station, the panel heard.

It also found he repeatedly bumped his body into another colleague in a locker room, making her feel uncomfortable, during the same period.

In November 2023, the panel found Reed used a police radio to comment on a colleague's backside as she walked to pay for fuel at a petrol station.

The panel found Reed's behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and said, if he were still serving, he would have been dismissed from the force without notice.

It invited Thames Valley Police to commence the process of placing the former officer onto the College of Policing barred list.