Constable banned from police for stealing seven fry-ups from work canteen in first week

A former constable will be unable to serve as an officer again after helping himself to up to seven full English breakfasts at a police centre without paying.

Jamie Larman, who had just started training, was found to have breached the standard of professional behaviour and his actions amounted to gross misconduct, a panel has found.

Between 29 January and 6 February – the first week and a half of his training as a constable – Larman was found to have eaten up to seven of the breakfasts at the Police Training Centre in Sulhamstead, Berkshire.

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A misconduct panel found he did not pay for them, “despite knowing that he was not entitled” to free meals, Thames Valley Police said.

He lived within a 20-mile radius from Sulhamstead, meaning he was not eligible for free meals, and was advised this before training, the panel found.

The misconduct hearing report states that a fellow trainee heard him say: “I’m not entitled to this, but I should be, I only live just inside the boundary.”

Larman, a former community support officer, had started training just two days before the dates he was said to have eaten the full English breakfasts.

He admitted the misconduct and had resigned from Thames Valley Police (TVP) before the hearing.

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Chief Constable John Campbell, who chaired the panel, said in the report: “He states that the reason for his actions were to build rapport with colleagues who met early for breakfast ahead of training.

“I consider this nonsense. He could still have fulfilled this objective by paying for his own food and not stealing from TVP.”

He added: “He was fully aware of the force rules and that he therefore was not entitled to free food, it was not a ‘mistake’ as he suggests, it was wilful and dishonest. He has no place in TVP.”

The panel was held via conference call due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Thames Valley Police said in a statement: “It was concluded that this behaviour was dishonest and former PC Larman did not act with integrity.

“The conduct was deemed serious enough that dismissal would have been justified had he still be serving.”

He has also been placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, which means he cannot serve with another force.

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