British police officer can return to duty after being cleared of stealing colleagues biscuits
A police officer who was alleged to have taken a colleague's tin of biscuits has been found not guilty of gross misconduct.
Pc Thomas Hooper, based at the Kingston Operational Command Unit in south-west London, was also alleged to have applied to cancel a Fixed Penalty notice against him and giving false accounts of both incidents.
Panel chairman Nahied Asjad ruled at the end of a three-day misconduct hearing that he had no case to answer for both allegations and will now return to full duties after a period of restricted duty.
Pc Hooper had denied two allegations of breaching standards of professional behaviour at the tribunal in central London.
It was alleged that on May 7 2016, Pc Hooper had taken another officer's medium-sized tin of biscuits from a cupboard, without her permission.
The tribunal previously heard that Pc Hooper was going to offer to share them, and also offered to replace them.
Charles Apthorp, representing the Metropolitan Police, earlier told the hearing that it was not just a matter of taking a tin of biscuits but whether his actions had amounted to a breach of professional standards.
Pc Hooper was also alleged to have driven a marked police transit van at 51mph in a 30mph zone on May 3 2016 - with the vehicle in response mode, but no reason for it.
It was alleged that he sought to cancel the Fixed Penalty Notice and gave a false account of events to avoid penalty points on his personal licence.
Pc Hooper had been transporting a prisoner from a mental health unit to Kingston police station, his counsel Ben Summers said.
The tribunal found that Pc Hooper's accounts were "not false or misleading", and that the facts he presented on the cancellation form "reflect what happened on that day".
The tribunal dismissed the case.
